Sample records for correlated mimo channels

Based on the three-dimensional GBSBCM (geometrically based double bounce cylinder model) channel model of MIMO for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the simple form of UAV space-time-frequency channelcorrelation function which includes the LOS, SPE, and DIF components is presented. By the methods of channel matrix decomposition and coefficient normalization, the analytic formula of UAV-MIMO normalized correlation matrix is deduced. This formula can be used directly to analyze the condition number of UAV-MIMOchannel matrix, the channel capacity, and other characteristic parameters. The simulation results show that this channelcorrelation matrix can be applied to describe the changes of UAV-MIMOchannel characteristics under different parameter settings comprehensively. This analysis method provides a theoretical basis for improving the transmission performance of UAV-MIMOchannel. The development of MIMO technology shows practical application value in the field of UAV communication. PMID:24977185

Based on the three-dimensional GBSBCM (geometrically based double bounce cylinder model) channel model of MIMO for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the simple form of UAV space-time-frequency channelcorrelation function which includes the LOS, SPE, and DIF components is presented. By the methods of channel matrix decomposition and coefficient normalization, the analytic formula of UAV-MIMO normalized correlation matrix is deduced. This formula can be used directly to analyze the condition number of UAV-MIMOchannel matrix, the channel capacity, and other characteristic parameters. The simulation results show that this channelcorrelation matrix can be applied to describe the changes of UAV-MIMOchannel characteristics under different parameter settings comprehensively. This analysis method provides a theoretical basis for improving the transmission performance of UAV-MIMOchannel. The development of MIMO technology shows practical application value in the field of UAV communication. PMID:24977185

The performance of multiple-input multiple-output free space optical (MIMO-FSO) communication systems, that adopt multipulse pulse position modulation (MPPM) techniques, is analyzed. Both exact and approximate symbol-error rates (SERs) are derived for both cases of uncorrelated and correlatedchannels. The effects of background noise, receiver shot-noise, and atmospheric turbulence are taken into consideration in our analysis. The random fluctuations of the received optical irradiance, produced by the atmospheric turbulence, is modeled by the widely used gamma-gamma statistical distribution. Uncorrelated MIMOchannels are modeled by the α-μ distribution. A closed-form expression for the probability density function of the optical received irradiance is derived for the case of correlatedMIMOchannels. Using our analytical expressions, the degradation of the system performance with the increment of the correlation coefficients between MIMOchannels is corroborated.

In the MIMO-OFDM multiple access channel (MIMO-OFDM-MAC) uplink scenario, the base station decides the uplink parameters for multiple users based on channel state information (CSI) from each user in the system. The performance of MIMO-OFDM-MAC systems can be significantly improved by using an adaptive transmission and resource allocation schemes which consider the correlation effect of line of sight (LOS) and non line of sight (NLOS) channel conditions for different users in the system. A lot of papers have been published on resource allocation schemes for MIMO-OFDM systems. However, most of these resource allocation schemes have been considered for MIMO-OFDMA systems, where users are separated in the frequency domain and each user uses the same uplink and downlink channels in the same channel conditions. On the other hand, in the mulituser MIMO-OFDM systems, more than one user can be assigned the same frequency and channel conditions for the MIMO-OFDM broadcast channel (downlink) and MIMO-OFDM-MAC channel (uplink) are not the same. Therefore, the same resource allocation schemes for the conventional MIMO-OFDM systems can not be applied to multiuser MIMO-OFDM systems with different uplink and downlink channel conditions. Until now, most of the resource allocation schemes have been considered only for downlink MIMO-OFDM broadcast (MIMO-OFDM-BC) channel and very few papers tackle the fairness among users. Moreover, no paper considers a scheme to realize proportional data rate fairness among users in the MIMO-OFDM-MAC condition. In this paper, we propose a proportional data rate fairness resource allocation scheme with adaptive bit loading for MIMO-ODFM-MAC systems by considering the correlation effects of LOS and NLOS channel conditions in both spatial and frequency domains. Computer simulation results show that the proposed scheme can give larger system capacity while maintaining the proportional data rate fairness requirements among users in the system under the

To demonstrate a real-time, mobile, peer-to-peer, ad-hoc networked MIMO system in a realistic tactical environment, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has instituted a program, called Mobile Network MIMO (MNM). To assess the communication channel quality for ground level MIMO nodes, a comprehensive channel measurement and modeling effort was carried out to determine quantities such as spatial correlations, delay spread as well as propagation loss. It was found that median 8x10 MIMO capacity supported by the channel was about 8 times the corresponding 1x1 capacity, and 3.2 times the corresponding 1x10 capacity. Also conducted were wideband soundings of such channels, where it was found that the median rms delay spreads were 0.6 μs. Reported are measurements and an empirical model of pathloss, spatial correlation scales, and crosspolarization properties of rural peer-to-peer channels.

Underwater acoustic channels pose significant difficulty for the development of high speed communication due to highly limited band-width as well as hostile multipath interference. Enlightened by rapid progress of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technologies in wireless communication scenarios, MIMO systems offer a potential solution by enabling multiple spatially parallel communication channels to improve communication performance as well as capacity. For MIMO acoustic communications, deep sea channels offer substantial spatial diversity among multiple channels that can be exploited to address simultaneous multipath and co-channel interference. At the same time, there are increasing requirements for high speed underwater communication in very shallow water area (for example, a depth less than 10 m). In this paper, a space-time multichannel adaptive receiver consisting of multiple decision feedback equalizers (DFE) is adopted as the receiver for a very shallow water MIMO acoustic communication system. The performance of multichannel DFE receivers with relatively small number of receiving elements are analyzed and compared with that of the multichannel time reversal receiver to evaluate the impact of limited spatial diversity on multi-channel equalization and time reversal processing. The results of sea trials in a very shallow water channel are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of very shallow water MIMO acoustic communication.

In the conventional multi-input multi-output (MIMO) communication systems, most of the antenna selection methods considered are suitable only for spatially separated uni-polarized system under Rayleigh fading channel in non-line of sight (NLOS) condition. There have a few antenna selection schemes for the cross-polarized system in LOS condition and Ricean fading channel, and no antenna selection scheme for the MIMOchannel with both LOS and NLOS. In the practical MIMOchannel case, influence of LOS and NLOS conditions in the channel can vary from time to time according to the channel parameters and user movement in the system. Based on these influences and channel condition, uni-polarized system may outperform a cross-polarized. Thus, we should consider this kind of practical MIMOchannel environment when developing the antenna selection scheme. Moreover, no research work has been done on reducing the complexity of antenna selection for this kind of practical MIMOchannel environment. In this paper, reduced complexity in antenna selection is proposed to give the higher throughput in the practical MIMOchannel environment. In the proposed scheme, suitable polarized antennas are selected based on the calculation of singular value decomposition (SVD) of channel matrix and then adaptive bit loading is applied. Simulation results show that throughput of the system can be improved under the constraint of target BER and total transmit power of the MIMO system.

We propose adjustable phase shift pilots (APSPs) for channel acquisition in wideband massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems employing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) to reduce the pilot overhead. Based on a physically motivated channel model, we first establish a relationship between channel space-frequency correlations and the channel power angle-delay spectrum in the massive antenna array regime, which reveals the channel sparsity in massive MIMO-OFDM. With this channel model, we then investigate channel acquisition, including channel estimation and channel prediction, for massive MIMO-OFDM with APSPs. We show that channel acquisition performance in terms of sum mean square error can be minimized if the user terminals' channel power distributions in the angle-delay domain can be made non-overlapping with proper phase shift scheduling. A simplified pilot phase shift scheduling algorithm is developed based on this optimal channel acquisition condition. The performance of APSPs is investigated for both one symbol and multiple symbol data models. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed APSP approach can provide substantial performance gains in terms of achievable spectral efficiency over the conventional phase shift orthogonal pilot approach in typical mobility scenarios.

A portable[InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) testbed that is based on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and which operates in the 902-928 MHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band has been developed by the High Capacity Digital Communications (HCDC) Laboratory at the University of Alberta. We present a description of the HCDC testbed along with MIMOchannel capacities that were derived from measurements taken with the HCDC testbed for three special locations: a narrow corridor, an athletics field that is surrounded by a metal fence, and a parkade. These locations are special because the channel capacities are different from what is expected for a typical indoor or outdoor channel. For two of the cases, a ray-tracing analysis has been performed and the simulated channel capacity values closely match the values calculated from the measured data. A ray-tracing analysis, however, requires accurate geometrical measurements and sophisticated modeling for each specific location. A MIMO testbed is ideal for quickly obtaining accurate channel capacity information.

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) underwater acoustic (UWA) channels introduce both space-time interference (STI) and time-varying phase distortion for transmitted signals. In such cases, the equalized symbols produced by conventional equalizer aiming for STI cancelation suffer phase rotation and thus cannot be reliably detected. In this paper, we propose a new equalization scheme for high data rate single carrier MIMO UWA channels. Different from existing methods employing joint equalization and symbolwise phase tracking technology, the proposed scheme decouples the interference cancelation (IC) operation and the phase compensation operation, leading to a generalized equalizer structure combining an IC equalizer with a phase compensator. The decoupling of the two functionalities leads to robust signal detection, which is most desirable in practical UWA applications. MIMO linear equalizer (LE) is adopted to remove space-time interference, and a groupwise phase estimation and correction method is used to compensate the phase rotation. In addition, the layered space-time processing technology is adopted to enhance the equalization performance. The proposed equalization scheme is tested to be very robust with extensive experimental data collected at Kauai, Hawaii, in September 2005, and Saint Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, in May 2006.

We present a unified framework for determining the inter-aperture separations in multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) free space optical (FSO) systems such that the transmitter-receiver paths are resolvable. The analysis framework is also useful in determining the amount of spatial correlation for a given set of system configuration parameters and aperture separations. It is applicable to both point apertures and also apertures with larger diameters and can be used at both transmit and receive arrays. We show that the results obtained via theoretical derivations are in good agreement with those in the literature obtained via measurements or simulations. The theoretical calculations reveal that even under strong turbulence conditions and very long link distances, aperture separations at the order of a few tens of centimeters are sufficient to have resolvable paths with independent fading gains. Furthermore, the channelcorrelations increase relatively slowly with decreasing inter-aperture separations which are below these values. We also provide design guidelines to obtain resolvable paths for several commonly used system configurations.

This paper considers the problem of filter design with secrecy constraints, where two legitimate parties (Alice and Bob) communicate in the presence of an eavesdropper (Eve), over a Gaussian multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wiretap channel. This problem involves designing, subject to a power constraint, the transmit and the receive filters which minimize the mean-squared error (MSE) between the legitimate parties whilst assuring that the eavesdropper MSE remains above a certain threshold. We consider a general MIMO Gaussian wiretap scenario, where the legitimate receiver uses a linear Zero-Forcing (ZF) filter and the eavesdropper receiver uses either a ZF or an optimal linear Wiener filter. We provide a characterization of the optimal filter designs by demonstrating the convexity of the optimization problems. We also provide generalizations of the filter designs from the scenario where the channel state is known to all the parties to the scenario where there is uncertainty in the channel state. A set of numerical results illustrates the performance of the novel filter designs, including the robustness to channel modeling errors. In particular, we assess the efficacy of the designs in guaranteeing not only a certain MSE level at the eavesdropper, but also in limiting the error probability at the eavesdropper. We also assess the impact of the filter designs on the achievable secrecy rates. The penalty induced by the fact that the eavesdropper may use the optimal non-linear receive filter rather than the optimal linear one is also explored in the paper.

In this paper, the performance of the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) using fixed relay nodes and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology was evaluated based on the correlatedchannel capacity of MIMO system and the number of sensor node served by the system. Moreover, the performance evaluation of the proposed algorithm, which is used to find the optimum distance to place the relay nodes from sink node, is done not only with AF relaying and spatial correlation effect, but also with Decode-and-Forward (DF) relaying scheme. The results show that the relay gain (a ratio between the maximum number of sensors satisfying the required channel capacity in 7-cell topology to the number of sensor nodes in sink cell) is affected strongly by the spatial correlation at high required channel capacity but little at low required channel capacity. The results also show that the relay gain can be improved remarkably by using the DF relaying scheme, and that the validity of the proposed algorithm holds for any relaying scheme, spatial correlation effect and different antenna size.

We consider a bidirectional time division duplex (TDD) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system with time-varying channel and additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). A blind bidirectional channel tracking algorithm, based on the projection approximation subspace tracking (PAST) algorithm, is applied in both terminals. The resulting singular value decomposition (SVD) of the channel matrix is then used to approximately diagonalize the channel. The proposed method is applied to an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing-(OFDM-)MIMO setting with a typical indoor time-domain reflection model. The computational cost of the proposed algorithm, compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms, is relatively small. The Kalman filter is utilized for establishing a benchmark for the obtained performance of the proposed tracking algorithm. The performance degradation relative to a full channel state information (CSI) due to the application of the tracking algorithm is evaluated in terms of average effective rate and the outage probability and compared with alternative tracking algorithms. The obtained results are also compared with a benchmark obtained by the Kalman filter with known input signal and channel characteristics. It is shown that the expected degradation in performance of frequency-domain algorithms (which do not exploit the smooth frequency response of the channel) is only minor compared with time-domain algorithms in a range of reasonable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels. The proposed bidirectional frequency-domain tracking algorithm, proposed in this paper, is shown to attain communication rates close to the benchmark and to outperform a competing algorithm. The paper is concluded by evaluating the proposed blind tracking method in terms of the outage probability and the symbol error rate (SER) versus. SNR for binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and 4-Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellations.

Although the topic of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) based orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) over different fading channels is well investigated, its closed form symbol error rate (SER) expressions and performance results employing orthogonal space time block codes (OSTBCs) over uncorrelated frequency-selective Nakagami-m fading channels are still not available. The closed form expressions are extremely useful for evaluating system's performance without carrying out time consuming simulations. Similarly, the performance results are also quite beneficial for determining the system's performance in the sense that many practical wireless standards extensively employ MIMO-OFDM systems in conjunction with M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) constellation. This paper thus, derives exact closed form expressions for the SER of M-ary Gray-coded one and two dimensional constellations when an OSTBC is employed and Nt transmit antennas are selected for transmission over frequency-selective Nakagami-m fading channels. For this purpose, first an exact closed-form of average SER expression of OSTBC based MIMO-OFDM system for M-ary phase shift keying (M-PSK) using traditional probability density function (PDF) approach is derived. We then compute exact closed form average SER expressions for M-ary pulse amplitude modulation (M-PAM) and M-QAM schemes by utilizing this generalized result. These expressions are valid over both frequency-flat and frequency-selective Nakagami-m fading MIMOchannels and can easily be evaluated without using any numerical integration methods. We also show that average SER of MIMO-OFDM system using OSTBC in case of frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channels remains independent to the number of taps, L of that fading channel and the performance of the same system for two-tap un-correlated Rayleigh and Nakagami-m fading channels is better than that of the correlated one. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulation of MIMO-OFDM system

This paper considers a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Gaussian wiretap channel model, where there exists a transmitter, a legitimate receiver and an eavesdropper, each equipped with multiple antennas. In this paper, we first revisit the rank property of the optimal input covariance matrix that achieves the secrecy capacity of the multiple antenna MIMO Gaussian wiretap channel under the average power constraint. Next, we obtain necessary and sufficient conditions on the MIMO wiretap channel parameters such that the optimal input covariance matrix is full-rank, and we fully characterize the resulting covariance matrix as well. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the proposed theoretical findings.

With the advent of Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) systems, the system performance is highly dependent on the accurate representation of the channel condition that causes the wireless channel emulation to become increasingly important. The conventional Finite Impulse Response (FIR) based emulator has a high real-time but the complexity rapidly becomes impractical for larger array sizes. However, the frequency domain approach can avoid this problem and reduce the complexity for higher order arrays. The complexity comparison between in time domain and in frequency domain is made in this paper. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) as an important component of signal processing in frequency domain is briefly introduced and an FGPA system architecture based on CORDIC algorithm is proposed. The full design is implemented in Xilinx's Virtex-5.

The Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) uses autonomous sensor nodes to monitor a field. These sensor nodes sometimes act as relay nodesfor each other. In this paper, the performance of the WSN using fixed relay nodes and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology necessary for future wireless communication is evaluated in terms of the channel capacity of the MIMO system and the number of sensor nodes served by the system. Accordingly, we propose an optimum topology for the WSN backbone named Connected Relay Node Double Cover (CRNDC), which can recover from a single fault, the algorithms (exhaustive search and other two approximation methods) to find the optimum distance to place the relay nodes from sink node, and the height of the sink and relay nodes to be placed by using the pathloss model. The performances of different MIMO-WSN configurations over conventional WSN are evaluated, and the direct relationship between relay position and minimum required channel capacity are discovered.

We consider the possibility of increasing the radio-channel throughput in the high-frequency range by using antenna arrays. The MIMO-system efficiency is studied with the help of the modified Watterson model by the simulation method. The signal parameters for which the MIMO processing yields the best results are determined.

In recent wireless communication systems, security is ensured mainly in the upper-layer techniques such as a password or a cryptography processing. However, security needs not be restricted to the upper-layer and the addition of physical-layer security also would yield a much more robust system. Therefore, in this paper, we exploit chaos communication and propose a chaos multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission scheme which achieves physical-layer security and additional channel-coding gain. A chaotic modulation symbol is multiplied to the data to be transmitted at each MIMO antenna to exploit the MIMO antenna diversity, and at the receiver, the joint MIMO detection and chaos decoding is done by maximum likelihood decoding (MLD). The conventional chaos modulation suffers from bit error rate (BER) performance degradation, while the coding gain is obtained in the proposed scheme by the chaos modulation in MIMO. We evaluate the performances of the proposed scheme by an analysis and computer simulations.

In downlink multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems, the zero-forcing (ZF) transmission is a simple and effective technique for separating users and data streams of each user at the transmitter side, but its performance depends greatly on the accuracy of the available channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter side. In time division duplex (TDD) systems, the base station estimates CSI based on uplink pilots and then uses it through channel reciprocity to generate the precoding matrix in the downlink transmission. Because of the constraints of the TDD frame structure and the uplink pilot overhead, there inevitably exists CSI delay and channel estimation error between CSI estimation and downlink transmission channel, which degrades system performance significantly. In this article, by characterizing CSI inaccuracies caused by CSI delay and channel estimation error, we develop a novel bit error rate (BER) expression for M-QAM signal in TDD downlink MU-MIMO systems. We find that channel estimation error causes array gain loss while CSI delay causes diversity gain loss. Moreover, CSI delay causes more performance degradation than channel estimation error at high signal-to-noise ratio for time varying channel. Our research is especially valuable for the design of the adaptive modulation and coding scheme as well as the optimization of MU-MIMO systems. Numerical simulations show accurate agreement with the proposed analytical expressions.

In multi-input multi-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems, the multipath components whose delays exceed cyclic prefix (CP) cause inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-carrier interference (ICI), which may degrade system performance severely. In this paper, we propose a joint channel estimation and ISI/ICI cancellation scheme in which a limited CP is used in a trade-off against high-rate performance in MIMO-OFDM systems. A channel estimation scheme based on the criterion of Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm can be proposed through the use of a training symbol. The EM algorithm uses an iterative procedure to estimate channel parameters and can estimate channel impulse response (CIR) accurately enough to mitigate ISI/ICI influences. Through the accurate CIR estimation, an efficient method has been developed to counteract ISI/ICI influences in signal detection in the case where the inserted CP length is less than the CIR length. Simulation results show that the proposed method can significantly enhance the overall MIMO-OFDM system performance after only a few iterations.

We study the Gaussian MIMO wiretap channel with a transmitter, a legitimate receiver, an eavesdropper and an external helper, each equipped with multiple antennas. The transmitter sends confidential messages to its intended receiver, while the helper transmits jamming signals independent of the source message to confuse the eavesdropper. The jamming signal is assumed to be treated as noise at both the intended receiver and the eavesdropper. We obtain a closed-form expression for the structure of the artificial noise covariance matrix that guarantees no decrease in the secrecy capacity of the wiretap channel. We also describe how to find specific realizations of this covariance matrix expression that provide good secrecy rate performance, even when there is no non-trivial null space between the helper and the intended receiver. Unlike prior work, our approach considers the general MIMO case, and is not restricted to SISO or MISO scenarios.

It is now well understood that by exploiting the available additional spatial dimensions, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems provide capacity gains, compared to a single-input single-output systems without increasing the overall transmit power or requiring additional bandwidth. However, these large capacity gains are feasible only when the perfect knowledge of the channel is available to the receiver. Consequently, when the channel knowledge is imperfect, as is common in practical settings, the impact of the achievable capacity needs to be evaluated. In this study, we begin with a general MIMO framework at the outset and specialize it to the case of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems by decoupling channel estimation from data detection. Cyclic-prefixed OFDM systems have attracted widespread interest due to several appealing characteristics not least of which is the fact that a single-tap frequency-domain equalizer per subcarrier is sufficient due to the circulant structure of the resulting channel matrix. We consider a low-mobility wireless channel which exhibits inter-block channel variations and apply Kalman tracking when MIMO-OFDM communication is performed. Furthermore, we consider the signal transmission to contain a stream of training and information symbols followed by information symbols alone. By relying on predicted channel states when training symbols are absent, we aim to understand how the improvements in channel capacity are affected by imperfect channel knowledge. We show that the Kalman recursion procedure can be simplified by the optimal minimum mean square error training design. Using the simplified recursion, we derive capacity upper and lower bounds to evaluate the performance of the system.

Communication transmission between electronic devices is evolving at an ever faster pace. There are now more electronic handheld devices that we communicate with on a daily basis. The allotted bandwidth and speed for these devices are limited by hardware, software, handshaking capabilities between each electronic application. The demand for information at high data rates without the loss of reliability has evolved antenna technology and digital signal processing into more complex systems utilizing multiple processors and multiple antennas. This paper discusses the various techniques used to increase data speed, enhance channel capacity, and reliability of application specific devices with respect to the Multiple-Input-to-Multiple-Output (MIMO) based methods. MIMO based applications can improve the data speed, channel capacity, and reliability of the system with maximum limitations based on hardware, coding schemes, and handshaking abilities between devices.

The problem of determining an optimal parameter setup at the physical layer in a multiuser, multiantenna downlink is considered. An aggregate utility, which is assumed to depend on the users' rates, is used as performance metric. It is not assumed that the utility function is concave, allowing for more realistic utility models of applications with limited scalability. Due to the structure of the underlying capacity region, a two step approach is necessary. First, an optimal rate vector is determined. Second, the optimal parameter setup is derived from the optimal rate vector. Two methods for computing an optimal rate vector are proposed. First, based on the differential manifold structure offered by the boundary of the MIMO BC capacity region, a gradient projection method on the boundary is developed. Being a local algorithm, the method converges to a rate vector which is not guaranteed to be a globally optimal solution. Second, the monotonic structure of the rate space problem is exploited to compute a globally optimal rate vector with an outer approximation algorithm. While the second method yields the global optimum, the first method is shown to provide an attractive tradeoff between utility performance and computational complexity.

This paper considers a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) receiver with very low-precision analog-to-digital convertors (ADCs) with the goal of developing massive MIMO antenna systems that require minimal cost and power. Previous studies demonstrated that the training duration should be {\\em relatively long} to obtain acceptable channel state information. To address this requirement, we adopt a joint channel-and-data (JCD) estimation method based on Bayes-optimal inference. This method yields minimal mean square errors with respect to the channels and payload data. We develop a Bayes-optimal JCD estimator using a recent technique based on approximate message passing. We then present an analytical framework to study the theoretical performance of the estimator in the large-system limit. Simulation results confirm our analytical results, which allow the efficient evaluation of the performance of quantized massive MIMO systems and provide insights into effective system design.

We present in this work a low-complexity algorithm to solve the sum rate maximization problem in multiuser MIMO broadcast channels with downlink beamforming. Our approach decouples the user selection problem from the resource allocation problem and its main goal is to create a set of quasiorthogonal users. The proposed algorithm exploits physical metrics of the wireless channels that can be easily computed in such a way that a null space projection power can be approximated efficiently. Based on the derived metrics we present a mathematical model that describes the dynamics of the user selection process which renders the user selection problem into an integer linear program. Numerical results show that our approach is highly efficient to form groups of quasiorthogonal users when compared to previously proposed algorithms in the literature. Our user selection algorithm achieves a large portion of the optimum user selection sum rate (90%) for a moderate number of active users. PMID:24574928

We propose and experimentally demonstrate two independent component analysis (ICA) based channel equalizers (CEs) for 6 × 6 MIMO-OFDM transmission over few-mode fiber. Compared with the conventional channel equalizer based on training symbols (TSs-CE), the proposed two ICA-based channel equalizers (ICA-CE-I and ICA-CE-II) can achieve comparable performances, while requiring much less training symbols. Consequently, the overheads for channel equalization can be substantially reduced from 13.7% to 0.4% and 2.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, we also experimentally investigate the convergence speed of the proposed ICA-based CEs. PMID:27137537

In this paper, we investigate outage capacity, outage probability, and outage rate performance of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) free-space optical system operating over strong turbulence channels. The MIMO optical system employs intensity modulation direct detection with on-off signaling, and equal gain combining technique at the receiver. We derived novel closed-form expressions for three system metrics, namely, outage capacity, outage probability, and outage rate. Expressions derived here are based on the generalized Gamma-Gamma channel model, which is based on scintillation theory that assumes that the irradiance of the received optical wave is modeled as the product of small-scale and large-scale turbulence eddies. The results are evaluated for different values of received signal-to-noise ratios, strong turbulence conditions, and several values of transmit/receive diversity.

An optical wireless communication system is an alternative to radio frequency communication, but atmospheric turbulence induced fading and misalignment fading are the main impairments affecting an optical signal when propagating through the turbulence channel. The resultant of misalignment fading is the pointing errors, it degrades the bit error rate (BER) performance of the free space optics (FSO) system. In this paper, we study the BER performance of the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) FSO system employing coherent binary polarization shift keying (BPOLSK) in gamma-gamma (G-G) channel with pointing errors. The BER performance of the BPOLSK based MIMO FSO system is compared with the single-input single-output (SISO) system. Also, the average BER performance of the systems is analyzed and compared with and without pointing errors. A novel closed form expressions of BER are derived for MIMO FSO system with maximal ratio combining (MRC) and equal gain combining (EGC) diversity techniques. The analytical results show that the pointing errors can severely degrade the performance of the system.

The interference alignment (IA) is a promising technique to efficiently mitigate interference and to enhance capacity of a wireless network. This paper proposes an interference alignment scheme for a cellular network with L cells and K users under a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Gaussian interfering broadcast channel (IFBC) scenario. The proposed IA scheme aligns intercell interferences (ICI) into a small dimensional subspace through a cooperative receive beamforming and cancels both the ICI and interuser interferences (IUI) simultaneously through a transmit beamforming. We characterize the feasibility condition for the proposed IA to achieve a total number of degrees of freedom (DoF) of LK in terms of the numbers of transmit antennas and receive antennas. Then we derive the maximum number of DoF achieved by the proposed IA by finding an optimal dimension of ICI alignment subspace for a given antenna configuration. The numerical results show that the proposed IA scheme has a better DoF performance than the conventional schemes. PMID:24683362

In this article, we investigate the interference alignment (IA) solution for a K-user MIMO interference channel. Proper users' precoders and decoders are designed through a desired signal power maximization model with IA conditions as constraints, which forms a complex matrix optimization problem. We propose two low complexity algorithms, both of which apply the Courant penalty function technique to combine the leakage interference and the desired signal power together as the new objective function. The first proposed algorithm is the modified alternating minimization algorithm (MAMA), where each subproblem has closed-form solution with an eigenvalue decomposition. To further reduce algorithm complexity, we propose a hybrid algorithm which consists of two parts. As the first part, the algorithm iterates with Householder transformation to preserve the orthogonality of precoders and decoders. In each iteration, the matrix optimization problem is considered in a sequence of 2D subspaces, which leads to one dimensional optimization subproblems. From any initial point, this algorithm obtains precoders and decoders with low leakage interference in short time. In the second part, to exploit the advantage of MAMA, it continues to iterate to perfectly align the interference from the output point of the first part. Analysis shows that in one iteration generally both proposed two algorithms have lower computational complexity than the existed maximum signal power (MSP) algorithm, and the hybrid algorithm enjoys lower complexity than MAMA. Simulations reveal that both proposed algorithms achieve similar performances as the MSP algorithm with less executing time, and show better performances than the existed alternating minimization algorithm in terms of sum rate. Besides, from the view of convergence rate, simulation results show that the MAMA enjoys fastest speed with respect to a certain sum rate value, while hybrid algorithm converges fastest to eliminate interference.

In this paper, we propose a novel ICA based MIMO-OFDM VLC scheme, where ICA is applied to convert the MIMO-OFDM channel into several SISO-OFDM channels to reduce computational complexity in channel estimation, without any spectral overhead. Besides, the FM is first investigated to further modulate the OFDM symbols to eliminate the correlation of the signals, so as to improve the separation performance of the ICA algorithm. In the 4×4MIMO-OFDM VLC simulation experiment, LOS path and NLOS paths are both considered, each transmitting signal at 100 Mb/s. Simulation results show that the BER of the proposed scheme reaches the 10-5 level at SNR=20 dB, which is a large improvement compared to the traditional schemes.

The MIMO system can meet the growing demand for higher capacity in wireless communication fields. So far, the authors have reported that, based on channel measurements, uncoded performance of narrowband MIMO spatial multiplexing in indoor line-of-sight (LOS) environments generally outperforms that in non-LOS (NLOS) ones under the same transmit power condition. In space-frequency coded MIMO-OFDM spatial multiplexing, however, we cannot expect high space-frequency diversity gain in LOS environments because of high fading correlations and low frequency selectivity of channels so that the performance may degrade unlike uncoiled cases. In this letter, we present the practical performance of coded MIMO-OFDM spatial multiplexing based on indoor channel measurements. The results show that an LOS environment tends to provide lower space-frequency diversity effect whereas the MIMO-OFDM spatial multiplexing performance is still better in the environment compared with an NLOS environment.

A technique for sensing a moving object within a physical environment using a MIMO communication link includes generating a channel matrix based upon channel state information of the MIMO communication link. The physical environment operates as a communication medium through which communication signals of the MIMO communication link propagate between a transmitter and a receiver. A spatial information variable is generated for the MIMO communication link based on the channel matrix. The spatial information variable includes spatial information about the moving object within the physical environment. A signature for the moving object is generated based on values of the spatial information variable accumulated over time. The moving object is identified based upon the signature.

Mobile wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs), which consist of mobile sink or sensor nodes and use rich sensing information, require much faster and more reliable wireless links than static wireless sensor networks (WSNs). This paper proposes an adaptive multi-node (MN) multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) transmission to improve the transmission reliability and capacity of mobile sink nodes when they experience spatial correlation. Unlike conventional single-node (SN) MIMO transmission, the proposed scheme considers the use of transmission antennas from more than two sensor nodes. To find an optimal antenna set and a MIMO transmission scheme, a MN MIMOchannel model is introduced first, followed by derivation of closed-form ergodic capacity expressions with different MIMO transmission schemes, such as space-time transmit diversity coding and spatial multiplexing. The capacity varies according to the antenna correlation and the path gain from multiple sensor nodes. Based on these statistical results, we propose an adaptive MIMO mode and antenna set switching algorithm that maximizes the ergodic capacity of mobile sink nodes. The ergodic capacity of the proposed scheme is compared with conventional SN MIMO schemes, where the gain increases as the antenna correlation and path gain ratio increase. PMID:24152920

Mobile wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs), which consist of mobile sink or sensor nodes and use rich sensing information, require much faster and more reliable wireless links than static wireless sensor networks (WSNs). This paper proposes an adaptive multi-node (MN) multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) transmission to improve the transmission reliability and capacity of mobile sink nodes when they experience spatial correlation. Unlike conventional single-node (SN) MIMO transmission, the proposed scheme considers the use of transmission antennas from more than two sensor nodes. To find an optimal antenna set and a MIMO transmission scheme, a MN MIMOchannel model is introduced first, followed by derivation of closed-form ergodic capacity expressions with different MIMO transmission schemes, such as space-time transmit diversity coding and spatial multiplexing. The capacity varies according to the antenna correlation and the path gain from multiple sensor nodes. Based on these statistical results, we propose an adaptive MIMO mode and antenna set switching algorithm that maximizes the ergodic capacity of mobile sink nodes. The ergodic capacity of the proposed scheme is compared with conventional SN MIMO schemes, where the gain increases as the antenna correlation and path gain ratio increase. PMID:24152920

Drastic improvements in transmission rate and system capacity are required towards 5th generation mobile communications (5G). One promising approach, utilizing the millimeter wave band for its rich spectrum resources, suffers area coverage shortfalls due to its large propagation loss. Fortunately, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) can offset this shortfall as well as offer high order spatial multiplexing gain. Multiuser MIMO is also effective in further enhancing system capacity by multiplexing spatially de-correlated users. However, the transmission performance of multiuser MIMO is strongly degraded by channel time variation, which causes inter-user interference since null steering must be performed at the transmitter. This paper first addresses the effectiveness of multiuser massive MIMO transmission that exploits the first eigenmode for each user. In Line-of-Sight (LoS) dominant channel environments, the first eigenmode is chiefly formed by the LoS component, which is highly correlated with user movement. Therefore, the first eigenmode provided by a large antenna array can improve the robustness against the channel time variation. In addition, we propose a simplified beamforming scheme based on high efficient channel state information (CSI) estimation that extracts the LoS component. We also show that this approximate beamforming can achieve throughput performance comparable to that of the rigorous first eigenmode transmission. Our proposed multiuser massive MIMO scheme can open the door for practical millimeter wave communication with enhanced system capacity. PMID:27399715

Drastic improvements in transmission rate and system capacity are required towards 5th generation mobile communications (5G). One promising approach, utilizing the millimeter wave band for its rich spectrum resources, suffers area coverage shortfalls due to its large propagation loss. Fortunately, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) can offset this shortfall as well as offer high order spatial multiplexing gain. Multiuser MIMO is also effective in further enhancing system capacity by multiplexing spatially de-correlated users. However, the transmission performance of multiuser MIMO is strongly degraded by channel time variation, which causes inter-user interference since null steering must be performed at the transmitter. This paper first addresses the effectiveness of multiuser massive MIMO transmission that exploits the first eigenmode for each user. In Line-of-Sight (LoS) dominant channel environments, the first eigenmode is chiefly formed by the LoS component, which is highly correlated with user movement. Therefore, the first eigenmode provided by a large antenna array can improve the robustness against the channel time variation. In addition, we propose a simplified beamforming scheme based on high efficient channel state information (CSI) estimation that extracts the LoS component. We also show that this approximate beamforming can achieve throughput performance comparable to that of the rigorous first eigenmode transmission. Our proposed multiuser massive MIMO scheme can open the door for practical millimeter wave communication with enhanced system capacity. PMID:27399715

Affected by atmospheric turbulence and multipath transmission, inter-symbol interference (ISI) is generated, and communication speed is limited in the channel of non-line-of-sight ultraviolet (NLOS UV) communication. Thus, MIMO space division multiplexing (MIMO-SDM) technology has a significant effect to reduce co-channel interference, fading and improve the transmission rate. Combined with characteristics of UV channel and noise, model of UV communication MIMOchannel and channel capacity is developed, and the application of SDM technology based on vertical bell laboratories layered space-time coding (V-BLAST) is investigated. Also bit error rate (BER) performances with zero-forcing (ZF), minimum mean square error (MMSE) detection algorithm are obtained. Simulation results show that the capacity of UV communication MIMOchannel is related to the number of transmit and received antennas , and channel SNR. And the BER performance with MMSE detection algorithm is better than ZF detection algorithm.

A high-speed correlator for radio and radar observations was developed and a controller was designed so that the correlator could run automatically without computer intervention. The correlator controller assumes the role of bus master and keeps track of data and properly interrupts the computer at the end of the observation.

Quantum teleportation of an n-qubit state performed using as an entangled resource a general bipartite state of 2n qubits instead of n Bell states is equivalent to a correlated Pauli channel. This yields a new characterization of such channels in terms of many-body correlation functions of the teleporting media. It provides a relatively simple method for determining whether a correlated quantum channel is able to reliably convey quantum messages by studying the entanglement properties of the teleportation mediating system. Our model is then generalized to the continuous-variable case. PMID:20366578

In this paper, we consider a MIMO networked control system with an energy harvesting sensor, where an unstable MIMO dynamic system is connected to a controller via a MIMO fading channel. We focus on the energy harvesting and MIMO precoding design at the sensor so as to stabilize the unstable MIMO dynamic plant subject to the energy availability constraint at the sensor. Using the Lyapunov optimization approach, we propose a closed-form dynamic energy harvesting and dynamic MIMO precoding solution, which has an event-driven control structure. Furthermore, the MIMO precoding solution is shown to have an eigenvalue water-filling structure, where the water level depends on the state estimation covariance, energy queue and the channel state, and the sea bed level depends on the state estimation covariance. The proposed scheme is also compared with various baselines and we show that significant performance gains can be achieved.

In this paper, we investigate methods for reducing the likelihood that a message transmitted between two multiantenna nodes is intercepted by an undetected eavesdropper. In particular, we focus on the judicious transmission of artificial interference to mask the desired signal at the time it is broadcast. Unlike previous work that assumes some prior knowledge of the eavesdropper's channel and focuses on maximizing secrecy capacity, we consider the case where no information regarding the eavesdropper is available, and we use signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) as our performance metric. Specifically, we focus on the problem of maximizing the amount of power available to broadcast a jamming signal intended to hide the desired signal from a potential eavesdropper, while maintaining a prespecified SINR at the desired receiver. The jamming signal is designed to be orthogonal to the information signal when it reaches the desired receiver, assuming both the receiver and the eavesdropper employ optimal beamformers and possess exact channel state information (CSI). In practice, the assumption of perfect CSI at the transmitter is often difficult to justify. Therefore, we also study the resulting performance degradation due to the presence of imperfect CSI, and we present robust beamforming schemes that recover a large fraction of the performance in the perfect CSI case. Numerical simulations verify our analytical performance predictions, and illustrate the benefit of the robust beamforming schemes.

In this paper, we analyse the error performance of transmitter/receiver array free-space optical (FSO) communication system employing binary phase shift keying (BPSK) subcarrier intensity modulation (SIM) in clear but turbulent atmospheric channel. Subcarrier modulation is employed to eliminate the need for adaptive threshold detector. Direct detection is employed at the receiver and each subcarrier is subsequently demodulated coherently. The effect of irradiance fading is mitigated with an array of lasers and photodetectors. The received signals are linearly combined using the optimal maximum ratio combining (MRC), the equal gain combining (EGC) and the selection combining (SelC). The bit error rate (BER) equations are derived considering additive white Gaussian noise and log normal intensity fluctuations. This work is part of the EU COST actions and EU projects.

Feedback control has become a crucial tool in the research on magnetic confinement of plasmas for achieving controlled nuclear fusion. This thesis presents a novel plasma feedback control system that, for the first time, employs a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for microsecond-latency, real-time control computations. This novel application area for GPU computing is opened up by a new system architecture that is optimized for low-latency computations on less than kilobyte sized data samples as they occur in typical plasma control algorithms. In contrast to traditional GPU computing approaches that target complex, high-throughput computations with massive amounts of data, the architecture presented in this thesis uses the GPU as the primary processing unit rather than as an auxiliary of the CPU, and data is transferred from A-D/D-A converters directly into GPU memory using peer-to-peer PCI Express transfers. The described design has been implemented in a new, GPU-based control system for the High-Beta Tokamak - Extended Pulse (HBT-EP) device. The system is built from commodity hardware and uses an NVIDIA GeForce GPU and D-TACQ A-D/D-A converters providing a total of 96 input and 64 output channels. The system is able to run with sampling periods down to 4 μs and latencies down to 8 μs. The GPU provides a total processing power of 1.5 x 1012 floating point operations per second. To illustrate the performance and versatility of both the general architecture and concrete implementation, a new control algorithm has been developed. The algorithm is designed for the control of multiple rotating magnetic perturbations in situations where the plasma equilibrium is not known exactly and features an adaptive system model: instead of requiring the rotation frequencies and growth rates embedded in the system model to be set a priori, the adaptive algorithm derives these parameters from the evolution of the perturbation amplitudes themselves. This results in non-linear control

We propose a secure protocol to send quantum information from one part to another without a quantum channel. In our protocol, which resembles quantum teleportation, a sender (Alice) and a receiver (Bob) share classical correlated states instead of EPR ones, with Alice performing measurements in two different bases and then communicating her results to Bob through a classical channel. Our secure quantum communication protocol requires the same amount of classical bits as the standard quantum teleportation protocol. In our scheme, as in the usual quantum teleportation protocol, once the classical channel is established in a secure way, a spy (Eve) will never be able to recover the information of the unknown quantum state, even if she is aware of Alice's measurement results. Security, advantages, and limitations of our protocol are discussed and compared with the standard quantum teleportation protocol.

In 1986, the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) unveiled the world's smallest optical correlator to demonstrate the ability to make small rugged optical processors capable of surviving transportation and use outside the laboratory. That capability has now been extended. A new solid block correlator has been built for MICOM by the Optical Corporation of America Applied Optics Division. This advanced solid block correlator (ASBC) is based on the same designed used for the original solid block correlator, but incorporates liquid crystal televisions in both the input and filter planes. The ASBC also has the advantage of two separate filter channels to increase filter throughput or allow simultaneous monitoring to the response to two different filters. This paper will present the results obtained from evaluation tests performed with the ASBC.

In this study, a baseband OFDM-MIMO framework with channel timing and estimation synchronization is composed and executed utilizing the FPGA innovation. The framework is prototyped in light of the IEEE 802.11a standard and the signals transmitted and received utilizing a data transmission of 20 MHz. With the assistance of the QPSK tweak, the framework can accomplish a throughput of 24 Mbps. Besides, the LS formula is executed and the estimation of a frequency-specific fading channel is illustrated. For the rough estimation of timing, MNC plan is examined and actualized. Above all else, the whole framework is demonstrated in MATLAB and a drifting point model is set up. At that point, the altered point model is made with the assistance of Simulink and Xilinx's System Generator for DSP. In this way, the framework is incorporated and actualized inside of Xilinx's ISE tools and focused to Xilinx Virtex 5 board. In addition, an equipment co-simulation is contrived to decrease the preparing time while figuring the BER of the fixed point model. The work concentrates on above all else venture for further examination of planning creative channel estimation strategies towards applications in the fourth era (4G) mobile correspondence frameworks. PMID:27047719

We derive the general form of a master equation describing the reduced time evolution of a sequence of subsystems “propagating” in an environment which can be described as a sequence of subenvironments. The interaction between subsystems and subenvironments is described in terms of a collision model, with the irreversible dynamics of the subenvironments between collisions explicitly taken into account. In the weak coupling regime, we show that the collisional model produces a correlated Markovian evolution for the joint density matrix of the multipartite system. The associated Lindblad superoperator contains pairwise terms describing cross correlation between the different subsystems. Such a model can describe a broad range of physical situations, ranging from quantum channels with memory to photon propagation in concatenated quantum optical systems.

Motivated by the results of Macchiavello and Palma on entanglement-enhanced information transmission over a quantum channel with correlated noise, we demonstrate how the entanglement teleportation scheme of Lee and Kim gives rise to two uncorrelated generalized depolarizing channels. In an attempt to find a teleportation scheme that yields two correlated generalized depolarizing channels, we discover a teleportation scheme that allows one to learn about the entanglement in an entangled pure input state, without decreasing the amount of entanglement associated with it.

Utilizing channel reciprocity, time reversal (TR) technique increases the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the receiver with very low transmitter complexity in complex multipath environment. Present research works about TR multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication all focus on the system implementation and network building. The aim of this work is to analyze the influence of antenna coupling on the capacity of wideband TR MIMO system, which is a realistic question in designing a practical communication system. It turns out that antenna coupling stabilizes the capacity in a small variation range with statistical wideband channel response. Meanwhile, antenna coupling only causes a slight detriment to the channel capacity in a wideband TR MIMO system. Comparatively, uncorrelated stochastic channels without coupling exhibit a wider range of random capacity distribution which greatly depends on the statistical channel. The conclusions drawn from information difference entropy theory provide a guideline for designing better high-performance wideband TR MIMO communication systems. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61331007, 61361166008, and 61401065) and the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20120185130001).

This paper shows the potential of MIMO in cellular systems, where small handheld devices are used for the terminals. A complete model of a MIMO communication link is used to integrate accurate antenna modelling into MIMO system simulations. All different effects of mutual coupling between closely spaced antennas are considered. The efficiency or power budget respectively of the antenna arrays in the terminals, which are influenced by mutual coupling effects, is taken into account. Capacity simulation results based on a channel obtained from ray-tracing simulations are shown with cellular phones with up to three Inverted-F antennas.

In this letter, a low-feedback non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme using massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission is proposed. In particular, the proposed scheme can decompose a massive-MIMO-NOMA system into multiple separated single-input single-output NOMA channels, and analytical results are developed to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme for two scenarios, with perfect user ordering and with one-bit feedback, respectively.

Neural spike trains are commonly characterized as a Poisson point process. However, the Poisson assumption is a poor model for spiking in auditory nerve fibres because it is known that interspike intervals display positive correlation over long time scales and negative correlation over shorter time scales. We have therefore developed a biophysical model based on the well-known Meddis model of the peripheral auditory system, to produce simulated auditory nerve fibre spiking statistics that more closely match the firing correlations observed in empirical data. We achieve this by introducing biophysically realistic ion channel noise to an inner hair cell membrane potential model that includes fractal fast potassium channels and deterministic slow potassium channels. We succeed in producing simulated spike train statistics that match empirically observed firing correlations. Our model thus replicates macro-scale stochastic spiking statistics in the auditory nerve fibres due to modeling stochasticity at the micro-scale of potassium channels. PMID:27480847

This paper proposes a new multi-input multi-output (MIMO) transmit scheme aided by artificial neural network (ANN). The morphological perceptron with competitive learning (MP/CL) concept is deployed as a decision rule in the MIMO detection stage. The proposed MIMO transmission scheme is able to achieve double spectral efficiency; hence, in each time-slot the receiver decodes two symbols at a time instead one as Alamouti scheme. Other advantage of the proposed transmit scheme with MP/CL-aided detector is its polynomial complexity according to modulation order, while it becomes linear when the data stream length is greater than modulation order. The performance of the proposed scheme is compared to the traditional MIMO schemes, namely Alamouti scheme and maximum-likelihood MIMO (ML-MIMO) detector. Also, the proposed scheme is evaluated in a scenario with variable channel information along the frame. Numerical results have shown that the diversity gain under space-time coding Alamouti scheme is partially lost, which slightly reduces the bit-error rate (BER) performance of the proposed MP/CL-NN MIMO scheme. PMID:27135805

The transmission performance for a downlink mobile WiMAX system with multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems in a computer simulation and field experiment is described. In computer simulation, a MU-MIMO transmission system can be realized by using the block diagonalization (BD) algorithm, and each user can receive signals without any signal interference from other users. The bit error rate (BER) performance and channel capacity in accordance with modulation schemes and the number of streams were simulated in a spatially correlated multipath fading environment. Furthermore, we propose a method for evaluating the transmission performance for this downlink mobile WiMAX system in this environment by using the computer simulation. In the field experiment, the received power and downlink throughput in the UDP layer were measured on an experimental mobile WiMAX system developed in Azumino City in Japan. In comparison with the simulated and experimented results, the measured maximum throughput performance in the downlink had almost the same performance as the simulated throughput. It was confirmed that the experimental mobile WiMAX system for MU-MIMO transmission successfully increased the total channel capacity of the system. PMID:26421311

The transmission performance for a downlink mobile WiMAX system with multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems in a computer simulation and field experiment is described. In computer simulation, a MU-MIMO transmission system can be realized by using the block diagonalization (BD) algorithm, and each user can receive signals without any signal interference from other users. The bit error rate (BER) performance and channel capacity in accordance with modulation schemes and the number of streams were simulated in a spatially correlated multipath fading environment. Furthermore, we propose a method for evaluating the transmission performance for this downlink mobile WiMAX system in this environment by using the computer simulation. In the field experiment, the received power and downlink throughput in the UDP layer were measured on an experimental mobile WiMAX system developed in Azumino City in Japan. In comparison with the simulated and experimented results, the measured maximum throughput performance in the downlink had almost the same performance as the simulated throughput. It was confirmed that the experimental mobile WiMAX system for MU-MIMO transmission successfully increased the total channel capacity of the system. PMID:26421311

This document describes a Digital Correlator for the Portable Channel Prober Measurement Instrument being developed by the Naval Research Laboratory for use in experiments designed to characterize high frequency (HF) radio channels. This Digital Correlator is a digital signal processor designed and constructed by Stow Computer, 111 old Bolton Road, Stow, MA 01775, (617/508) 897-6838. Two Digital Correlators are integrated into the existing Digital Pre-processor to make a Portable Wideband HF Channel Analyzer. The Portable Wideband HF Channel Analyzer will be located at the receiving site of the channel probing experiment and is situated between the coherent radio receiver and the microcomputer used for data recording and analysis. The Portable Wideband HF Channel Analyzer computes the delay power spectrum of the received waveform. The in-phase and quadrature outputs of the receiver are sampled and converted to digital values by the Analog to Digital Converter, integrated by the Integrator, and correlated with a stored replica of the transmitted waveform by two Digital Correlators. The resulting tap gains are then read by the system microcomputer using the microcomputer interface.

In block transmission systems, blind channel shortening methods are known to be effective to reduce the influence of interblock interference which degrades the performance when the length of a channel impulse response is extremely long. Conventional methods assume that the transmitted signal is uncorrelated; however, this assumption is invalid in practical systems such as OFDM with null carriers and MC-CDMA. In this paper, we consider blind channel shortening methods for block transmissions when the transmitted samples within a block are correlated. First, the channel shortening ability of a conventional method is clarified. Next, a new method which exploits the fact that the transmitted samples in different blocks are uncorrelated is introduced. It is shown that the proposed method can shorten the channel properly under certain conditions. Finally, simulation results of OFDM and MC-CDMA systems are shown to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method compared with a conventional one.

The design of predistortion techniques for broadband multiple input multiple output-OFDM (MIMO-OFDM) systems raises several implementation challenges. First, the large bandwidth of the OFDM signal requires the introduction of memory effects in the PD model. In addition, it is usual to consider an imbalanced in-phase and quadrature (IQ) modulator to translate the predistorted baseband signal to RF. Furthermore, the coupling effects, which occur when the MIMO paths are implemented in the same reduced size chipset, cannot be avoided in MIMO transceivers structures. This study proposes a MIMO-PD system that linearizes the power amplifier response and compensates nonlinear crosstalk and IQ imbalance effects for each branch of the multiantenna system. Efficient recursive algorithms are presented to estimate the complete MIMO-PD coefficients. The algorithms avoid the high computational complexity in previous solutions based on least squares estimation. The performance of the proposed MIMO-PD structure is validated by simulations using a two-transmitter antenna MIMO system. Error vector magnitude and adjacent channel power ratio are evaluated showing significant improvement compared with conventional MIMO-PD systems.

Compact heat exchangers are becoming more attractive for applications in which energy conservation, space saving, and cost are important considerations. Applications exist in the process industries where phase-change heat transfer realizes more compact designs and improved performance compared to single-phase heat transfer. However, there have been only a few studies in the literature reporting on phase-change heat transfer and two-phase flow in compact heat exchangers, and validated design correlations are lacking. Recent data from experiments on flow boiling of refrigerants in small channels have led researchers to conclude that nucleation is the dominant heat transfer mechanism over a broad range of heat flux and wall superheats. Local heat transfer coefficients and overall two-phase pressure drops were measured for three different refrigerants with circular and non-circular channels in a range of pressures. This data base supports the nucleate boiling mechanism, and it was used to develop a new correlation for heat transfer in nucleate flow boiling. The correlation is based on the Rohsenow boiling model, introducing a confinement number defined by Kew and Cornwell. The new correlation predicts the experimental data for nucleate flow boiling of three refrigerants within {+-}15%.

The authors present a result for linearizing a nonlinear MIMO system by employing partial feedback - feedback at all but one input-output channel such that the SISO feedback linearization problem is solvable at the remaining input-output channel. The partial feedback effectively enhances the relative degree at the open input-output channel provided the feedback functions are chosen to satisfy relative degree requirements. The method is useful for nonlinear systems that are not feedback linearizable in a MIMO sense. Several examples are presented to show how these feedback functions can be computed. This strategy can be combined with decentralized observers for a completely decentralized feedback linearization result for at least one input-output channel.

Previous analysis of single-channel current records has shown that both the opening and closing transitions of chemically activated ion channels are operated by fast and slow kinetic processes. The fast component in the kinetics of channel opening has been interpreted as the reopening of a channel that has just closed. The fast component in the kinetics of channel closure has many possible explanations and is therefore more difficult to interpret. We can gain insight into the closing process by asking whether the lifetimes of successive openings of an acetylcholine receptor channel are correlated in open-state lifetime. Five kinetic models of channel closure are considered. Two of these models predict uncorrelated open-state lifetimes, one predicts correlated open-state lifetimes, and for two others a range of behavior is possible. Acetylcholine receptor channel data from cultured rat muscle are analyzed to show that open-state lifetimes are correlated, eliminating two models of channel gating. PMID:6301575

This research explores the relationship between the plan-view network and profile geometry of channels using high-resolution digital topography and numerical models. In particular, we study the relations between plan-view morphometrics of the channel network and the mechanics of land-shaping processes as reflected by channel profile concavity. This analysis addresses one of the long-standing questions in geomorphology relating to the mechanistic significance of various plan-view channel network geometry measures. Statistically based studies suggest that Hortonian measures of channel network architecture (e.g. bifurcation ratio, area ratio, and length ratio) describe virtually all possible network geometries, and hence are not diagnostic when evaluating the origins of the geometry of a particular network. Our analyses of high resolution DEMs that capture different channel profile concavities (i.e debris flow vs. fluvial flows), as well as the topography of landscapes produced by process-based numerical models affirms this conclusion and indicates that Hortonian measures, as well as Hack exponent, are insensitive to channel concavity. In contrast, channel frequency (number of channel segments per area) appears to provide a measure that is sensitive to channel concavity. As such, channel frequency appears to discern between landscapes dominated by different land-shaping processes that produce different channel profile concavities. In the context of headword growing networks, the observed relations between concavity and channel frequency can be modeled through the coupled effect of concavity and surface roughness on the competition between headword growing channels. Our results suggest that the plan-view geometry of channel networks does not simply arise from random deflection of channels that once joined, cannot separate, but rather reflects the underlying processes that incise through rock and transport mass through the channel network

The modulated scattering antenna array (MSAA) is composed of one normal antenna element and several modulated scattering elements (MSEs). In this paper, a 2-element MSAA is used as the receiving antenna in a 2 × 2 multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system. MIMO performance of MSAA with various array spacing is measured to investigate the relation between the array spacing and the MIMO performance of the MSAA experimentally in the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) indoor environment. It is found that the error vector magnitude (EVM) and the channel capacity, which reflect MIMO performance, can be affected by the array spacing. The measured results of the MSAA were compared with that of two-dipole antenna array at the same condition.

In this paper, we analyze the applicability of color-space-based, color-independent visual-MIMO for V2X. We aim to achieve a visual-MIMO scheme that can maintain the original color and brightness while performing seamless communication. We consider two scenarios of GCM based visual-MIMO for V2X. One is a multipath transmission using visual-MIMO networking and the other is multi-node V2X communication. In the scenario of multipath transmission, we analyze the channel capacity numerically and we illustrate the significance of networking information such as distance, reference color (symbol), and multiplexing-diversity mode transitions. In addition, in the V2X scenario of multiple access, we may achieve the simultaneous multiple access communication without node interferences by dividing the communication area using image processing. Finally, through numerical simulation, we show the superior SER performance of the visual-MIMO scheme compared with LED-PD communication and show the numerical result of the GCM based visual-MIMOchannel capacity versus distance. PMID:27120603

In this paper, we analyze the applicability of color-space-based, color-independent visual-MIMO for V2X. We aim to achieve a visual-MIMO scheme that can maintain the original color and brightness while performing seamless communication. We consider two scenarios of GCM based visual-MIMO for V2X. One is a multipath transmission using visual-MIMO networking and the other is multi-node V2X communication. In the scenario of multipath transmission, we analyze the channel capacity numerically and we illustrate the significance of networking information such as distance, reference color (symbol), and multiplexing-diversity mode transitions. In addition, in the V2X scenario of multiple access, we may achieve the simultaneous multiple access communication without node interferences by dividing the communication area using image processing. Finally, through numerical simulation, we show the superior SER performance of the visual-MIMO scheme compared with LED-PD communication and show the numerical result of the GCM based visual-MIMOchannel capacity versus distance. PMID:27120603

This paper exploits an optical large multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system. We first establish the non-reciprocity compensation correction factor to solve the channel non-reciprocity problem. Then we propose an antenna selection algorithm with the goal of realizing maximum energy efficiency ( EE) when satisfying the outage EE. The simulation results prove that this non-reciprocity compensation correction factor can compensate beam energy attenuation gap and spatial correlation gap between uplink and downlink effectively, and this antenna selection algorithm can economize the number of transmit antennas and achieve high EE performance. Finally, we apply direct current- biased optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DCO-OFDM) modulation in our system and prove that it can improve the bit error rate ( BER) compared with on-off keying (OOK) modulation, so the DCO-OFDM modulation can resist atmospheric turbulence effectively.

An adaptive channel shortening equalizer design for multiple input multiple output-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) radio receivers is considered in this presentation. The proposed receiver has desirable features for cognitive and software defined radio implementations. It consists of two sections: MIMO decision feedback equalizer (MIMO-DFE) and adaptive multiple Viterbi detection. In MIMO-DFE section, a complete modified Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization of multichannel input data is accomplished using sequential processing multichannel Givens lattice stages, so that a Vertical Bell Laboratories Layered Space Time (V-BLAST) type MIMO-DFE is realized at the front-end section of the channel shortening equalizer. Matrix operations, a major bottleneck for receiver operations, are accordingly avoided, and only scalar operations are used. A highly modular and regular radio receiver architecture that has a suitable structure for digital signal processing (DSP) chip and field programable gate array (FPGA) implementations, which are important for software defined radio realizations, is achieved. The MIMO-DFE section of the proposed receiver can also be reconfigured for spectrum sensing and positioning functions, which are important tasks for cognitive radio applications. In connection with adaptive multiple Viterbi detection section, a systolic array implementation for each channel is performed so that a receiver architecture with high computational concurrency is attained. The total computational complexity is given in terms of equalizer and desired response filter lengths, alphabet size, and number of antennas. The performance of the proposed receiver is presented for two-channel case by means of mean squared error (MSE) and probability of error evaluations, which are conducted for time-invariant and time-variant channel conditions, orthogonal and nonorthogonal transmissions, and two different modulation schemes.

We explore the mitigation of atmospheric turbulence effects for orbital angular momentum (OAM)-based free-space optical (FSO) communications with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) architecture. Such a system employs multiple spatially separated aperture elements at the transmitter/receiver, and each transmitter aperture contains multiplexed data-carrying OAM beams. We propose to use spatial diversity combined with MIMO equalization to mitigate both weak and strong turbulence distortions. In a 2×2 FSO link with each transmitter aperture containing two multiplexed OAM modes of ℓ=+1 and ℓ=+3, we experimentally show that at least two OAM data channels could be recovered under both weak and strong turbulence distortions using selection diversity assisted with MIMO equalization. PMID:27244375

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a well-established technique to study binding interactions or the diffusion of fluorescently labeled biomolecules in vitro and in vivo. Fast FCS experiments require parallel data acquisition and analysis which can be achieved by exploiting a multi-channel Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) array and a corresponding multi-input correlator. This paper reports a 32-channel FPGA based correlator able to perform 32 auto/cross-correlations simultaneously over a lag-time ranging from 10 ns up to 150 ms. The correlator is included in a 32 × 1 SPAD array module, providing a compact and flexible instrument for high throughput FCS experiments. However, some inherent features of SPAD arrays, namely afterpulsing and optical crosstalk effects, may introduce distortions in the measurement of auto- and cross-correlation functions. We investigated these limitations to assess their impact on the module and evaluate possible workarounds.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a well-established technique to study binding interactions or the diffusion of fluorescently labeled biomolecules in vitro and in vivo. Fast FCS experiments require parallel data acquisition and analysis which can be achieved by exploiting a multi-channel Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) array and a corresponding multi-input correlator. This paper reports a 32-channel FPGA based correlator able to perform 32 auto/cross-correlations simultaneously over a lag-time ranging from 10 ns up to 150 ms. The correlator is included in a 32 × 1 SPAD array module, providing a compact and flexible instrument for high throughput FCS experiments. However, some inherent features of SPAD arrays, namely afterpulsing and optical crosstalk effects, may introduce distortions in the measurement of auto- and cross-correlation functions. We investigated these limitations to assess their impact on the module and evaluate possible workarounds. PMID:25362365

The calculation of two-phase flow boiling heat transfer of R22 in channels is required in a variety of applications, such as chemical process cooling systems, refrigeration, and air conditioning. A number of correlations for flow boiling heat transfer in channels have been proposed. This work evaluates the existing correlations for flow boiling heat transfer coefficient with 1669 experimental data points of flow boiling heat transfer of R22 collected from 18 published papers. The top two correlations for R22 are those of Liu and Winterton (1991) and Fang (2013), with the mean absolute deviation of 32.7% and 32.8%, respectively. More studies should be carried out to develop better ones. Effects of channel dimension and vapor quality on heat transfer are analyzed, and the results provide valuable information for further research in the correlation of two-phase flow boiling heat transfer of R22 in channels. PMID:23956695

The calculation of two-phase flow boiling heat transfer of R22 in channels is required in a variety of applications, such as chemical process cooling systems, refrigeration, and air conditioning. A number of correlations for flow boiling heat transfer in channels have been proposed. This work evaluates the existing correlations for flow boiling heat transfer coefficient with 1669 experimental data points of flow boiling heat transfer of R22 collected from 18 published papers. The top two correlations for R22 are those of Liu and Winterton (1991) and Fang (2013), with the mean absolute deviation of 32.7% and 32.8%, respectively. More studies should be carried out to develop better ones. Effects of channel dimension and vapor quality on heat transfer are analyzed, and the results provide valuable information for further research in the correlation of two-phase flow boiling heat transfer of R22 in channels. PMID:23956695

This paper describes the development of a digital correlator chip with the following features: 1 Giga-sample/second; 256 channels; 1-bit quantization; 32-bit counters providing up to 4 seconds integration time at 1 GHz; and very low power dissipation per channel. The improvements in the performance-to-cost ratio of the digital correlator chip are achieved with a combination of systolic architecture, novel pipelined differential logic circuits, and standard 1.0 micron CMOS process.

Simulations confirm stable MIMO transport of two channels over a two-mode fiber. Successful reception is achieved over 80km two-mode fiber at a bit error rate of 10-6 - enabled by a new signal recovery algorithm we proposed.

This paper addresses the joint robust power control and beamforming design of a linear multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system in the downlink where users are subjected to individual signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) requirements, and the channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) with its uncertainty characterized by an ellipsoidal region. The objective is to minimize the overall transmit power while guaranteeing the users' SINR constraints for every channel instantiation by designing the joint transmitreceive beamforming vectors robust to the channel uncertainty. This paper first investigates a multiuser MISO system (i.e., MIMO with single-antenna receivers) and by imposing the constraints on an SINR lower bound, a robust solution is obtained in a way similar to that with perfect CSI. We then present a reformulation of the robust optimization problem using S-Procedure which enables us to obtain the globally optimal robust power control with fixed transmit beamforming. Further, we propose to find the optimal robust MISO beamforming via convex optimization and rank relaxation. A convergent iterative algorithm is presented to extend the robust solution for multiuser MIMO systems with both perfect and imperfect channel state information at the receiver (CSIR) to guarantee the worst-case SINR. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed joint robust power and beamforming optimization significantly outperforms the optimal robust power allocation with zeroforcing (ZF) beamformers, and more importantly enlarges the feasibility regions of a multiuser MIMO system.

We study the quantum correlation dynamics of bipartite spin-{1}/{2} density matrices for two particles under Wigner rotations induced by Lorentz transformations which is transmitted through noisy channels. We compare quantum entanglement, geometric discord(GD), and quantum discord (QD) for bipartite relativistic spin-{1}/{2} states under noisy channels. We find out QD and GD tend to death asymptotically but a sudden change in the decay rate of the entanglement occurs under noisy channels. Also, bipartite relativistic spin density matrices are considered as a quantum channel for teleportation one-qubit state under the influence of depolarizing noise and compare fidelity for various velocities of observers.

An increase in frequency of fuel channel-control blade interference has been observed in Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) in recent years. Many of the channels leading to interference were found to bow towards the control blade in a manner that was inconsistent with the expected bow due to other effects. The pattern of bow appeared to indicate a new channel bow mechanism that differed from the predominant bow mechanism caused by differential growth due to fast-fluence gradients. In order to investigate this new type of channel bow, coupons from several channels with varying degrees of bow were returned to the GE Vallecitos Nuclear Center (VNC) for Post-Irradiation Examination (PIE). This paper describes the characteristics of channel corrosion and hydrogen pickup observed, and relates the observations to the channel exposure level, control history, and measured channel bow. The channels selected for PIE had exposures in the range of 36-48 GWd/MTU and covered a wide range of measured bow. The coupons were obtained at 4 elevations from opposing channel sides adjacent and away from the control blade. The PIE performed on these coupons included visual examination, metallography, and hydrogen concentration measurements. A new mechanism of control-blade shadow corrosion-induced channel bow was found to correlate with differences in the extent of corrosion and corresponding differences in the hydrogen concentration between opposite sides of the channels. The increased corrosion on the control blade sides was found to be dependent on the level of control early in the life of the channel. The contributions of other potential factors leading to increased channel bow and channel-control blade interference are also discussed in this paper. (authors)

Ion channels are protein molecules found in biological membranes, which can assume distinct open and closed conformational states, a phenomenon called ion channel kinetics. The transitions from one state to another are dependent on the potential energy barrier that separates them and can be controlled by the electrical field, ions and/or drugs. Both Markovian and fractal models have been used for modeling the ion channel kinetics. Ion single channel records are characterized by successive openings and closings, which are correlated in time. Here the rescaled range analysis ( R/S Hurst analysis) is used to test for the occurrence of long-term correlation in the kinetics of a calcium-activated potassium channel of Leydig cells. A Hurst coefficient H=0.640±0.064 ( n=5) was found for the single calcium-activated potassium channel clamped at -80 mV and exposed to a free Ca 2+ concentration equal to 10 nM. This numerical value indicates the presence of long-term correlation (memory) in this kinetic process. However, when the R/ S analysis was applied to ion channel data simulated using Markovian and fractal models, it could not account for the long-term correlation previously found in the experimental data. In summary, in this work we show that: (i) opening and closing dwell times for the single calcium-activated potassium channel of Leydig cells present long-term correlation and (ii) Markovian and fractal models, which describe well the dwell time distributions, are not adequate to describe the memory found in the kinetics of this channel.

Infrastructure wireless mesh network has been attracting much attention due to the wide range of its application such as public wireless access, sensor network, etc. In recent years, researchers have shown that significant network throughput gain can be achieved by employing network coding in a wireless environment. For further improvement of network throughput in one dimensional (1D) topology, Ono et al. proposed to use multiple antenna technique combined with network coding. In this paper, being inspired by MIMO network coding in 1D topology, the authors establish a novel MIMO network coding algorithm for a 2D topology consisting of two crossing routes. In this algorithm, multiple network coded flows are spatially multiplexed. Owing to the efficient usage of radio resource of network coding and co-channel interference cancellation ability of MIMO, the proposed algorithm shows an 8-fold gain in network capacity compared to conventional methods in the best-case scenario.

Spatial diversity, including transmit diversity, has been proven to be a promising technique to mitigate turbulence-induced signal fading. However, due to the limitation of size in compact FSO (free-space optical) terminals, the transmit antennas cannot always be separated far enough from each other, resulting in increased channelcorrelation and deteriorated diversity performance. In this paper, we focus on the channelcorrelation statistics of transmit diversity FSO systems with two transmit beams. Specifically, we consider partially coherent optical beams, which reduce scintillation over fully coherent optical beams. We perform theoretical analysis and obtain some interesting numerical results, such as the degree of channelcorrelation which changed mainly with source correlation radius from 0.001 to 0.1 m. These results can be helpful for designing transmit diversity FSO systems with partially coherent beams.

Molecular dynamics simulations have been done on a system consisting of the polypeptide membrane channel former gramicidin, plus water molecules in the channel and caps of waters at the two ends of the channel. In the absence of explicit simulation of the surrounding membrane, the helical form of the channel was maintained by artificial restraints on the peptide motion. The characteristic time constant of the artificial restraint was varied to assess the effect of the restraints on the channel structure and water motions. Time-correlation analysis was done on the motions of individual channel waters and on the motions of the center of mass of the channel waters. It is found that individual water molecules confined in the channel execute higher frequency motions than bulk water, for all degrees of channel peptide restraint. The center-of-mass motion of the chain of channel waters (which is the motion that is critical for transmembrane transport, due to the mandatory single filing of water in the channel) does not exhibit these higher frequency motions. The mobility of the water chain is dramatically reduced by holding the channel rigid. Thus permeation through the channel is not like flow through a rigid pipe; rather permeation is facilitated by peptide motion. For the looser restraints we used, the mobility of the water chain was not very much affected by the degree of restraint. Depending on which set of experiments is considered, the computed mobility of our water chain in the flexible channel is four to twenty times too high to account for the experimentally measured resistance of the gramicidin channel to water flow. From this result it appears likely that the peptide motions of an actual gramicidin channel embedded in a lipid membrane may be more restrained than in our flexible channel model, and that these restraints may be a significant modulator of channel permeability. For the completely rigid channel model the "trapping" of the water molecules in

Links between epithelial ion channels and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) are emerging through animal model and in vitro studies. However, clinical correlations between fluid-regulating channel proteins and lung function in COPD remain to be elucidated. To quantitatively measure epithelial sodium channels (ENaC), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), and aquaporin 5 (AQP5) proteins in human COPD lungs and to analyze the correlation with declining lung function, quantitative western blots were used. Spearman tests were performed to identify correlations between channel proteins and lung function. The expression of α and β ENaC subunits was augmented and inversely associated with lung function. In contrast, both total and alveolar type I (ATI) and II (ATII)-specific CFTR proteins were reduced. The expression level of CFTR proteins was associated with FEV1 positively. Abundance of AQP5 proteins and extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD3) was decreased and correlated with spirometry test results and gas exchange positively. Furthermore, these channel proteins were significantly associated with severity of disease. Our study demonstrates that expression of ENaC, AQP5, and CFTR proteins in human COPD lungs is quantitatively associated with lung function and severity of COPD. These apically located fluid-regulating channels may thereby serve as biomarkers and potent druggable targets of COPD. PMID:25329998

A phenomenological correlated voltage probe model is introduced to mimic the effects of inelastic scattering between particles in different conduction channels of a phase coherent conductor. As an illustration, the non-equilibrium distribution functions of two noisy co-propagating chiral edge channels of the integer quantum Hall effect are calculated and compared with recent experiments. The method is further applied to calculate the linear response current noise through an interacting Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

A phenomenological correlated voltage probe model is introduced to mimic the effects of inelastic scattering between particles in different conduction channels of a phase coherent conductor. As an illustration, the non-equilibrium distribution functions of two noisy co-propagating chiral edge channels of the integer quantum Hall effect are calculated and compared with recent experiments. The method is further applied to calculate the linear response current noise through an interacting Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) involves a profound reduction of Cl- permeability in several exocrine tissues. A distinctive, outwardly rectifying, depolarization-induced Cl- channel (ORDIC channel) has been proposed to account for the Cl- conductance that is defective in CF. The recently identified CF gene is predicted to code for a 1480-amino acid integral membrane protein termed the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). The CFTR shares sequence similarity with a superfamily of ATP-binding membrane transport proteins such as P-glycoprotein and STE6, but it also has features consistent with an ion channel function. It has been proposed that the CFTR might be an ORDIC channel. To determine if CFTR and ORDIC channel expression are correlated, we surveyed various cell lines for natural variation in CFTR and ORDIC channel expression. In four human epithelial cell lines (T84, CaCo2, PANC-1, and 9HTEo-/S) that encompass the full observed range of CFTR mRNA levels and ORDIC channel density we found no correlation. PMID:1711224

Cystic fibrosis (CF) involves a profound reduction of Cl{sup {minus}} permeability in several exocrine tissues. A distinctive, outwardly rectifying, depolarization-induced Cl{sup {minus}} channel (ORDIC channel) has been proposed to account for the Cl{sup {minus}} conductance that is defective in CF. The recently identified CF gene is predicted to code for a 1480-amino acid integral membrane protein termed the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). The CFTR shares sequence similarity with a superfamily of ATP-binding membrane transport proteins such as P-glycoprotein and STE6, but it also has features consistent with an ion channel function. It has been proposed that the CFTR might be an ORDIC channel. To determine if CFTR and ORDIC channel expression are correlated, the authors surveyed various cell lines for natural variation in CFTR and ORDIC channel expression. In four human epithelial cell lines (T84, CaCo2, PANC-1, and 9HTEo-/S) that encompass the full observed range of CFTR mRNA levels and ORDIC channel density the authors found no correlation.

Based on the quantum technique of weak measurement, we propose a scheme to protect the entanglement from correlated amplitude damping decoherence. In contrast to the results of memoryless amplitude damping channel, we show that the memory effects play a significant role in the suppression of entanglement sudden death and protection of entanglement under severe decoherence. Moreover, we find that the initial entanglement could be drastically amplified by the combination of weak measurement and quantum measurement reversal even under the correlated amplitude damping channel. The underlying mechanism can be attributed to the probabilistic nature of weak measurements.

A nonselective Rayleigh fading channel model using a time-variant complex multiplier z(t) is considered. Performing a Monte Carlo simulation of this channel requires samples of z(t) with appropriate correlation (fading power spectrum). For an important f-4 spectrum, there is a simple digital implementation that generates uniformly spaced samples. However, many communications systems have faded signals which appear only intermittently at the receiver. Nonuniformly spaced samples are better suited to a simulation of this situation. The author presents an algorithm for efficiently generating nonuniformly spaced correlated samples which have a specified f-4 power spectrum.

A relatively simple analytical expression is presented to approximate the equal-time, two-point, double-velocity correlation function in turbulent channel flow. To assess the accuracy of the model, we perform the spectral decomposition of the integral operator having the model correlation function as its kernel. Comparisons of the empirical eigenvalues and eigenfunctions with those constructed from direct numerical simulations data show good agreement. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

Fluctuation correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a non-perturbative method used to gain molecular information from stochastic processes such as Brownian motion (Magde, Elson et al. 1972). Dual channel FCS allows for the investigation of static (molecular associations) and kinetic (protein dynamics) parameters of interaction between two species. This technique is able to quantitate in vivo molecular interactions that are critical for cellular study. Data acquisition hardware was built which allows 25 ns time resolution and records the entire photon sequence using a hardware data compression technique. This allows multiple analysis to be performed (i.e. photon counting histogram (Muller, Chen et al. 1999), moment analysis, etc.) The basic theory and simulation of oligomer size effect on dual channel FCS data was done to allow interpretation of an in vivo study involving the amount of aggregation between different somatostatin membrane receptors. The cross-correlation, in combination with Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET), provides a more elegant method to study protein dynamics than the equivalent quenching experiment involving only one channel of detection (Haas and Steinberg 1984). The extra relaxation is present as an extra hump in the autocorrelation and as an anti-correlation for the cross-correlation. This signature anti-correlation differentiates this process from others such as triplet state, rotational diffusion, quenching, etc. In vitro confirmation is provided through studies of ribosome and cameleon proteins.

The development of practical distributed video coding schemes is based on the consequence of information-theoretic bounds established in the 1970s by Slepian and Wolf for distributed lossless coding, and by Wyner and Ziv for lossy coding with decoder side information. In distributed video compression application, it is hard to accurately describe the non-stationary behavior of the virtual correlationchannel between X and side information Y although it plays a very important role in overall system performance. In this paper, we implement a practical Slepian-Wolf asymmetric distributed video compression system using irregular LDPC codes. Moreover, based on exploiting the dependencies of previously decode bit planes from video frame X and side information Y, we present improvement schemes to divide different reliable regions. Our simulation results show improving schemes of exploiting the dependencies between previously decoded bit planes can get better overall encoding rate performance as BER approach zero. We also show, compared with BSC model, BC channel model is more suitable for distributed video compression scenario because of the non-stationary properties of the virtual correlationchannel and adaptive detecting channel model parameters from previously adjacent decoded bit planes can provide more accurately initial belief messages from channel at LDPC decoder.

This paper investigates the optimal modified tracking performance of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) networked control systems (NCSs) with bandwidth and channel noise constraints. A new modified tracking performance index is proposed which prevents variations in the tracking error from leading to invalid data where there is no integrator in the plant. An expression for the optimal modified tracking performance is obtained using a method which includes co-prime factorization, partial factorization, spectral decomposition and H2 norm. The obtained results show that the optimal modified tracking performance is influenced by the non-minimum phase (NMP) zeros, unstable poles, and their directions. Furthermore, the characteristics of the input signal, the modification factor, the bandwidth and the channel noise are also shown to be closely related to the optimal modified tracking performance. Finally, the efficiency of the result is verified using some typical examples. PMID:26874745

Multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) has been proposed as a means to improve spectrum efficiency for various future wireless communication systems. This paper reports indoor experimental results obtained for a newly developed and implemented downlink (DL) MU-MIMO orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transceiver for gigabit wireless local area network systems in the microwave band. In the transceiver, the channel state information (CSI) is estimated at each user and fed back to an access point (AP) on a real-time basis. At the AP, the estimated CSI is used to calculate the transmit beamforming weight for DL MU-MIMO transmission. This paper also proposes a recursive inverse matrix computation scheme for computing the transmit weight in real time. Experiments with the developed transceiver demonstrate its feasibility in a number of indoor scenarios. The experimental results clarify that DL MU-MIMO-OFDM transmission can achieve a 972-Mbit/s transmission data rate with simple digital signal processing of single-antenna users in an indoor environment.

This paper describes a new approach to improve the bit error rate (BER) performance of a multiple-input multiple-output code-division multiple-access (MIMO-CDMA) system over quasi-static Rayleigh fading channels. The system considered employs robust space-time successive interference cancellation detectors and initial-phase optimized Gold codes for the improvement. The results clearly indicate that the use of initial-phase optimized Gold codes can significantly improve the BER performance of the system compared to the performance of a multiuser MIMO-CDMA system with conventional nonoptimized Gold codes. Furthermore, this performance improvement is achieved without any increase in system complexity.

Here we study the quantum steering, quantum entanglement, and quantum discord for Gaussian Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen states via Gaussian channels. And the sudden death phenomena for Gaussian steering and Gaussian entanglement are theoretically observed. We find that some Gaussian states have only one-way steering, which confirms the asymmetry of quantum steering. Also we investigate that the entangled Gaussian states without Gaussian steering and correlated Gaussian states own no Gaussian entanglement. Meanwhile, our results support the assumption that quantum entanglement is intermediate between quantum discord and quantum steering. Furthermore, we give experimental recipes for preparing quantum states with desired types of quantum correlations.

Tracer studies have been widely applied to characterize the flow behavior in activated sludge reactors. The channel reactor with bottom aerators is one of the widespread designs in large wastewater treatment plants. Its flow behavior is well modeled either as a plug flow reactor with axial dispersion or as the perfect mixing cells in series. Several correlations have been developed to estimate the dispersion coefficients as a function of operating and geometrical parameters. These correlations fit properly the data derived from a given reactor in the range of operating and geometrical parameters for which they have been determined. Unfortunately they cannot be applied straightforwardly with a sufficient level of confidence to scale-up industrial units or scale-down laboratory pilots. Recently, two papers have proposed more general correlations [Makinia, J., Wells, S.A., 2005. Evaluation of empirical formulae for estimation of the longitudinal dispersion in activated sludge reactors. Water Res. 39, 1533-1542; Potier, O., Leclerc, J.-P., Pons, M.-N., 2005. Influence of geometrical and operating parameters on the axial dispersion in an aerated channel reactor. Water Res. 39, 4454-4462] but they are still not able to represent the whole set of data from the literature. This paper proposes a general correlation, which can represent all the available and usable sets of data from the literature and more than 170 experimental results obtained in our laboratory with a precision of 18%. PMID:18063006

The acid-sensing ion channel 1 (ASIC1) is a key receptor for extracellular protons. Although numerous structural and functional studies have been performed on this channel, the structural dynamics underlying the gating mechanism remains unknown. We used normal mode analysis, mutagenesis, and electrophysiological methods to explore the relationship between the inherent dynamics of ASIC1 and its gating mechanism. Here we show that a series of collective motions among the domains and subdomains of ASIC1 correlate with its acid-sensing function. The normal mode analysis result reveals that the intrinsic rotation of the extracellular domain and the collective motions between the thumb and finger induced by proton binding drive the receptor to experience a deformation from the extracellular domain to the transmembrane domain, triggering the channel pore to undergo “twist-to-open” motions. The movements in the transmembrane domain indicate that the likely position of the channel gate is around Leu440. These motion modes are compatible with a wide body of our complementary mutations and electrophysiological data. This study provides the dynamic fundamentals of ASIC1 gating. PMID:19597538

The correlation between activity concentrations of some natural radionuclides ((238)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K) measured in soil and in sediment taken from the Danube River and nearby irrigation channels was studied. The soil samples were collected from the northern part of Serbia and the sediment from the Serbian part of the Danube River and from the surrounding irrigation channels. The correlation between (238)U and other natural radionuclides in irrigation channel sediments was not as good as in the Danube. One of the possible explanations for this weak correlation can be the different chemical dynamics of (238)U in the irrigation channel sediment or changes of the (238)U activity concentration in irrigation channel sediment due to some human activities. The evaluation of ratios of activity concentrations of some natural radionuclides could be a more sensitive method for the determination of contaminant, rather than the straightforward analysis of activity concentrations. PMID:22244685

We propose a feasible V-BLAST detector based on modified Householder QRD (M-H-QRD) over spatially correlated fading channel, which can almost match the performance of the V-BLAST algorithm with much lower complexity and better numerical stability. Compared to the sorted QRD (S-QRD) detector, the proposed detector requires a smaller minimum word-length to reach the same value of error floor for fixed-point (FP) numerical precision despite no significant performance difference for floating-point machine precision. All these advantages make it attractive when implemented using FP arithmetic.

This study focuses on the correlations between surface deformation and flow features, including velocity, vorticity and pressure, in a turbulent channel flow over a flat, compliant Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) wall. The channel centerline velocity is 2.5 m/s, and the friction Reynolds number is 2.3x103. Analysis is based on simultaneous measurements of the time resolved 3D velocity and surface deformation using tomographic PIV and Mach-Zehnder Interferometry. The volumetric pressure distribution is calculated plane by plane by spatially integrating the material acceleration using virtual boundary, omni-directional method. Conditional sampling based on local high/low pressure and deformation events reveals the primary flow structures causing the deformation. High pressure peaks appear at the interface between sweep and ejection, whereas the negative deformations peaks (dent) appear upstream, under the sweeps. The persistent phase lag between flow and deformations are presumably caused by internal damping within the PDMS. Some of the low pressure peaks and strong ejections are located under the head of hairpin vortices, and accordingly, are associated with positive deformation (bump). Others bumps and dents are correlated with some spanwise offset large inclined quasi-streamwise vortices that are not necessarily associated with hairpins. Sponsored by ONR.

Current studies of {mathcal{W}}_N Toda field theory focus on correlation functions such that the {mathcal{W}}_N highest-weight representations in the fusion channels are multiplicity-free. In this work, we study {mathcal{W}}_3 Toda 4-point functions with multiplicity in the fusion channel. The conformal blocks of these 4-point functions involve matrix elements of a fully-degenerate primary field with a highest-weight in the adjoint representation of mathfrak{s}{mathfrak{l}}_3 , and a fully-degenerate primary field with a highest-weight in the fundamental representation of mathfrak{s}{mathfrak{l}}_3 . We show that, when the fusion rules do not involve multiplicities, the matrix elements of the fully-degenerate adjoint field, between two arbitrary descendant states, can be computed explicitly, on equal footing with the matrix elements of the semi-degenerate fundamental field. Using null-state conditions, we obtain a fourth-order Fuchsian differential equation for the conformal blocks. Using Okubo theory, we show that, due to the presence of multiplicities, this differential equation belongs to a class of Fuchsian equations that is different from those that have appeared so far in {mathcal{W}}_N theories. We solve this equation, compute its monodromy group, and construct the monodromy-invariant correlation functions. This computation shows in detail how the ambiguities that are caused by the presence of multiplicities are fixed by requiring monodromy-invariance.

A database obtained from direct numerical simulation of a turbulent channel flow is analyzed to extract the propagation velocity V of velocity, vorticity, and pressure fluctuations from their space-time correlations. A surprising result is that V is approximately the same as the local mean velocity for most of the channel, except for the near-wall region. For y(+) is less than or equal to 15, V is virtually constant, implying that perturbations of all flow variables propagate like waves near the wall. In this region V is 55 percent of the centerline velocity U(sub c) for velocity and vorticity perturbations and 75 percent of U(sub c) for pressure perturbations. Scale-dependence of V is also examined by analyzing the bandpass filtered flow fields. Comprehensive documentation of the propagation velocities and space-time correlation data, which should prove useful in the evaluation of Taylor's hypothesis is presented. An attempt was made to explain some of the data in terms of our current understanding of organized structures, although not all of the data can be explained this way.

Time-correlated single photon counting continues to gain importance in a wide range of applications. Most prominently, it is used for time-resolved fluorescence measurements with sensitivity down to the single molecule level. While the primary goal of the method used to be the determination of fluorescence lifetimes upon optical excitation by short light pulses, recent modifications and refinements of instrumentation and methodology allow for the recovery of much more information from the detected photons, and enable entirely new applications. This is achieved most successfully by continuously recording individually detected photons with their arrival time and detection channel information (time tagging), thus avoiding premature data reduction and concomitant loss of information. An important property of the instrumentation used is the number of detection channels and the way they interrelate. Here we present a new instrument architecture that allows scalability in terms of the number of input channels while all channels are synchronized to picoseconds of relative timing and yet operate independent of each other. This is achieved by means of a modular design with independent crystal-locked time digitizers and a central processing unit for sorting and processing of the timing data. The modules communicate through high speed serial links supporting the full throughput rate of the time digitizers. Event processing is implemented in programmable logic, permitting classical histogramming, as well as time tagging of individual photons and their temporally ordered streaming to the host computer. Based on the time-ordered event data, any algorithms and methods for the analysis of fluorescence dynamics can be implemented not only in postprocessing but also in real time. Results from recently emerging single molecule applications are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument. PMID:19123551

Nowadays, an increasing number of applications require high-performance analytical instruments capable to detect the temporal trend of weak and fast light signals with picosecond time resolution. The Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting (TCSPC) technique is currently one of the preferable solutions when such critical optical signals have to be analyzed and it is fully exploited in biomedical and chemical research fields, as well as in security and space applications. Recent progress in the field of single-photon detector arrays is pushing research towards the development of high performance multichannel TCSPC systems, opening the way to modern time-resolved multi-dimensional optical analysis. In this paper we describe a new 8-channel high-performance TCSPC acquisition system, designed to be compact and versatile, to be used in modern TCSPC measurement setups. We designed a novel integrated circuit including a multichannel Time-to-Amplitude Converter with variable full-scale range, a D/A converter, and a parallel adder stage. The latter is used to adapt each converter output to the input dynamic range of a commercial 8-channel Analog-to-Digital Converter, while the integrated DAC implements the dithering technique with as small as possible area occupation. The use of this monolithic circuit made the design of a scalable system of very small dimensions (95 × 40 mm) and low power consumption (6 W) possible. Data acquired from the TCSPC measurement are digitally processed and stored inside an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), while a USB transceiver allows real-time transmission of up to eight TCSPC histograms to a remote PC. Eventually, the experimental results demonstrate that the acquisition system performs TCSPC measurements with high conversion rate (up to 5 MHz/channel), extremely low differential nonlinearity (<0.04 peak-to-peak of the time bin width), high time resolution (down to 20 ps Full-Width Half-Maximum), and very low crosstalk between channels.

Nowadays, an increasing number of applications require high-performance analytical instruments capable to detect the temporal trend of weak and fast light signals with picosecond time resolution. The Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting (TCSPC) technique is currently one of the preferable solutions when such critical optical signals have to be analyzed and it is fully exploited in biomedical and chemical research fields, as well as in security and space applications. Recent progress in the field of single-photon detector arrays is pushing research towards the development of high performance multichannel TCSPC systems, opening the way to modern time-resolved multi-dimensional optical analysis. In this paper we describe a new 8-channel high-performance TCSPC acquisition system, designed to be compact and versatile, to be used in modern TCSPC measurement setups. We designed a novel integrated circuit including a multichannel Time-to-Amplitude Converter with variable full-scale range, a D∕A converter, and a parallel adder stage. The latter is used to adapt each converter output to the input dynamic range of a commercial 8-channel Analog-to-Digital Converter, while the integrated DAC implements the dithering technique with as small as possible area occupation. The use of this monolithic circuit made the design of a scalable system of very small dimensions (95 × 40 mm) and low power consumption (6 W) possible. Data acquired from the TCSPC measurement are digitally processed and stored inside an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), while a USB transceiver allows real-time transmission of up to eight TCSPC histograms to a remote PC. Eventually, the experimental results demonstrate that the acquisition system performs TCSPC measurements with high conversion rate (up to 5 MHz/channel), extremely low differential nonlinearity (<0.04 peak-to-peak of the time bin width), high time resolution (down to 20 ps Full-Width Half-Maximum), and very low crosstalk between channels

Traditional active seismic survey can no longer be properly applied in highly populated urban areas due to restrictions in modern civilian life styles. Passive seismic methods, however, have gained much more attention from the engineering geophysics community because of their environmental friendly and deeper investigation depth. Due to extracting signal from noise has never been as comfortable as that in active seismic survey, how to make it more efficiently and accurately has been emphasized. We propose a multi-channel analysis of passive surface waves (MAPW) based on long noise sequences cross-correlations to meet the demand for increasing investigation depth by acquiring surface-wave data at a relative low-frequency range (1 Hz ≤ f ≤ 10 Hz) in urban areas. We utilize seismic interferometry to produce common virtual source gathers from one-hour-long noise records and do dispersion measurements by using the classic passive multi-channel analysis of surface waves (PMASW). We used synthetic tests to demonstrate the advantages of MAPW for various noise distributions. Results show that our method has the superiority of maximizing the analysis accuracy. Finally, we used two field data applications to demonstrate the advantages of our MAPW over the classic PMASW on isolating azimuth of the predominant noise sources and the effectivity of combined survey of active multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) and MAPW. We suggest, for the field operation using MAPW, that a parallel receiver line which is close to a main road or river, if any, with one or two hours noise observation will be an effective means for an unbiased dispersion image. Keywords: passive seismic method, MAPW, MASW, cross-correlation, directional noise source, spatial-aliasing effects, inversion

This paper presents an optimized low-complexity and high-throughput multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) signal detector core for detecting spatially-multiplexed data streams. The core architecture supports various layer configurations up to 4, while achieving near-optimal performance, as well as configurable modulation constellations up to 256-QAM on each layer. The core is capable of operating as a soft-input soft-output log-likelihood ratio (LLR) MIMO detector which can be used in the context of iterative detection and decoding. High area-efficiency is achieved via algorithmic and architectural optimizations performed at two levels. First, distance computations and slicing operations for an optimal 2-layer maximum a posteriori (MAP) MIMO detector are optimized to eliminate the use of multipliers and reduce the overhead of slicing in the presence of soft-input LLRs. We show that distances can be easily computed using elementary addition operations, while optimal slicing is done via efficient comparisons with soft decision boundaries, resulting in a simple feed-forward pipelined architecture. Second, to support more layers, an efficient channel decomposition scheme is presented that reduces the detection of multiple layers into multiple 2-layer detection subproblems, which map onto the 2-layer core with a slight modification using a distance accumulation stage and a post-LLR processing stage. Various architectures are accordingly developed to achieve a desired detection throughput and run-time reconfigurability by time-multiplexing of one or more component cores. The proposed core is applied as well to design an optimal multi-user MIMO detector for LTE. The core occupies an area of 1.58MGE and achieves a throughput of 733 Mbps for 256-QAM when synthesized in 90 nm CMOS.

In the paper, a singly fed circular patch antenna with polarization diversity is proposed, and its binary array for MIMO application is explored as well. The air substrate and aperture-coupled feed structure are adopted to increase bandwidth and simplify the bias circuit of PIN diodes. By controlling the states of four PIN diodes on the patch, the proposed antenna can produce linear polarization (LP), left- or right-hand circular polarization (LHCP or RHCP). For each polarization sense, the antenna exhibits wide impedance bandwidth, high gain and low cross-polarization. Two antennas are orthogonally placed to form a binary array for MIMO application, which has high isolation and low envelope correlation. The antenna and its array have advantages of simple biasing network, easy fabrication and adjustment, which can be widely applied in wireless communication systems.

The discovery of channelrhodopsins introduced a new class of light-gated ion channels, which when genetically encoded in host cells resulted in the development of optogenetics. Channelrhodopsin-2 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, CrChR2, is the most widely used optogenetic tool in neuroscience. To explore the connection between the gating mechanism and the influx and efflux of water molecules in CrChR2, we have integrated light-induced time-resolved infrared spectroscopy and electrophysiology. Cross-correlation analysis revealed that ion conductance tallies with peptide backbone amide I vibrational changes at 1,665(−) and 1,648(+) cm−1. These two bands report on the hydration of transmembrane α-helices as concluded from vibrational coupling experiments. Lifetime distribution analysis shows that water influx proceeded in two temporally separated steps with time constants of 10 μs (30%) and 200 μs (70%), the latter phase concurrent with the start of ion conductance. Water efflux and the cessation of the ion conductance are synchronized as well, with a time constant of 10 ms. The temporal correlation between ion conductance and hydration of helices holds for fast (E123T) and slow (D156E) variants of CrChR2, strengthening its functional significance. PMID:26460012

Homeostasis of the intervertebral disc relies on nutrient supply and waste clearance through the dense capillary network that is in contact with the cartilage endplate (CEP). We developed a micro-computerized tomography (micro-CT) method to quantify the marrow contact channel surface (MCCS) with the CEP and to validate the hypothesis according to which MCCS was correlated to the effective permeability of the vertebral endplate (VEP) and influenced by the mechanical stimuli. The influence of compression loading on local vascularization was investigated. Six 4-week-old skeletally immature pigs were instrumented with left pedicle screws and rod at both T5-T6 and L1-L2 levels to create asymmetrical spine tethers. After 3 months of growth, three cylindrical specimens of the VEP (one central and two lateral right and left) were obtained from both the instrumented and the control levels. We used a previously validated method for measuring permeability. Micro-CT analysis (resolution 12 microm) yielded a gray-scale 2D-image of the discal end of each specimen converted into a binary 2D-image to derive the MCCS. Correlations between MCCS and effective permeability were assessed. Effective permeability and MCCS were significantly decreased compared to the control group especially on the tethered side (-41.5%, p = 0.004 and -52.5%, p = 0.0009, respectively). Correlations were significant and showed maximal value (r(2) = 0.430, p < 0.0001) on the tethered side involving maximal compressive loadings. Mechanical stimuli, due to unbalanced growth, altered the vascularization and the convective properties of the CEP. The cascade of mechanobiological events should offer perspectives for research on disc degeneration and attempted treatment. PMID:20225324

This work describes a molecular dynamics study of ion-water and ion-polypeptide correlation in a model gramicidin-like channel (the polyglycine analogue) based upon interaction between polarizable, multipolar groups. The model suggests that the vicinity of the dimer junction and of the ethanolamine tail are regions of unusual flexibility. Cs+ binds weakly in the mouth of the channel: there it coordinates five water molecules and the #11CO group with which it interacts strongly and is ideally aligned. In the channel interior it is generally pentacoordinate; at the dimer junction, because of increased channel flexibility, it again becomes essentially hexacoordinate. The ion is also strongly coupled to the #13 CO but not to either #9 or #15, consistent with 13C NMR data. Water in the channel interior is strikingly different from bulk water; it has a much lower mean dipole moment. This correlates with our observation (which differs from that of previous studies) that water-water angular correlations do not persist within the channel, a result independent of ion occupancy or ionic polarity. In agreement with streaming potential measurements, there are seven single file water molecules associated with Cs+ permeation; one of these is always in direct contact with bulk water. At the mouth of an ion-free channel, there is a pattern of dipole moment alteration among the polar groups. Due to differential interaction with water, exo-carbonyls have unusually large dipole moments whereas those of the endo-carbonyls are low. The computed potential of mean force for CS+ translocation is qualitatively reasonable. However, it only exhibits a weakly articulated binding site and it does not quantitatively account for channel energetics. Correction for membrane polarization reduces, but does not eliminate, these problems. PMID:1705448

Synoptic variability contained in a set of Tiros N channel brightness temperatures was analyzed for a nine-day period during January 1979, between the dateline and 90 deg W and between 30 deg N and 20 deg S. In the procedure, the spatial coherence of each channel is first described in terms of functions of interchannel differences and geographic and synoptic variations. Second, horizontal and vertical pattern of individual channels are examined through empirical orthogonal functional decomposition. Finally, response surface regression models are developed to predict missing Tiros N channels from available Tiros N and NOAA-5 data. The percentage variance was predicted for each channel from the Tiros N microwave and stratospheric channels. Generally speaking, about 80 percent of the variance in each channel can be predicted for the Tiros model, excepting the two tropospheric moisture channels, where prediction was less successful.

Multi-antenna or multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technique can significantly improve the efficiency of radio frequency (RF) signal enabled wireless energy transfer (WET). To fully exploit the energy beamforming gain at the energy transmitter (ET), the knowledge of channel state information (CSI) is essential, which, however, is difficult to be obtained in practice due to the hardware limitation of the energy receiver (ER). To overcome this difficulty, under a point-to-point MIMO WET setup, this paper proposes a general design framework for a new type of channel learning method based on the ER's energy measurement and feedback. Specifically, the ER measures and encodes the harvested energy levels over different training intervals into bits, and sends them to the ET via a feedback link of limited rate. Based on the energy-level feedback, the ET adjusts transmit beamforming in subsequent training intervals and obtains refined estimates of the MIMOchannel by leveraging the technique of analytic center cutting plane method (ACCPM) in convex optimization. Under this general design framework, we further propose two specific feedback schemes termed energy quantization and energy comparison, where the feedback bits at each interval are generated at the ER by quantizing the measured energy level at the current interval and comparing it with those in the previous intervals, respectively. Numerical results are provided to compare the performance of the two feedback schemes. It is shown that energy quantization performs better when the number of feedback bits per interval is large, while energy comparison is more effective with small number of feedback bits.

In this paper, we evaluate BER (bit error rate) performance and diversity gain when employing a transmission technique utilizing LC (Linear Combination) diversity using 2 time slots with QPSK channels in 2×2 MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) spatial multiplexing systems by comparing it with the upper and lower bound on BER. This evaluation shows that this transmission technique realizes high diversity gain and high transmission rate in LOS (line-of-sight) and NLOS (non line-of-sight) environments.

The effect of trypsin digestion on the (i) fragmentation pattern, (ii) activity, (iii) [3H]ryanodine binding, and (iv) sedimentation behavior of the skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) ryanodine receptor-Ca2+ release channel complex has been examined. Mild tryptic digestion of heavy, junctional-derived SR vesicles resulted in the rapid disappearance of the high molecular weight (Mr approximately 400,000) Ca2+ release channel protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels and appearance of bands of lower Mr upon immunoblot analysis, without an appreciable effect on [3H]ryanodine binding or the apparent S value (30 S) of the 3-[3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (Chaps)-solubilized channel complex. Further degradation to bands of Mr greater than 70,000 on immunoblots correlated with a reduction of channel size from 30 S to 10-15 S and loss of high affinity [3H]ryanodine binding to the trypsinized receptor, while low affinity [3H]ryanodine binding and [3H]ryanodine bound prior to digestion were retained. Parallel 45Ca2+ efflux measurements also indicated retention of the Ca2+, Mg2+, and ATP regulatory sites, although Ca2+-induced 45Ca2+ release rates were changed. In planar lipid bilayer-single channel measurements, addition of trypsin to the cytoplasmic side of the high conductance (100 pS in 50 mM Ca2+), Ca2+-activated SR Ca2+ channel initially increased the fraction of channel open time and was followed by a complete and irreversible loss of channel activity. Trypsin did not change the unitary conductance, and was without effect on single channel activity when added to the lumenal side of the channel. PMID:2536370

Background Chloride intracellular channel 1 (CLIC1) is expressed ubiquitously in human tissues and is involved in the regulation of cell cycle, cell proliferation and differentiation. Recent studies have shown that CLIC1 is highly expressed in several human malignant tumors. However, its roles in human gliomas are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological significance and prognostic value of CLIC1 expression in human gliomas. Methods CLIC1 expression in human gliomas and nonneoplastic brain tissues was measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay and immunohistochemistry. Its association with clinicopathological factors or prognosis in patients with gliomas was statistically analyzed. Results The expression of CLIC1 at both mRNA and protein levels was significantly increased in high-grade (Grade III~IV) glioma tissues compared with that in low-grade (Grade I~II) and nonneoplastic brain tissues, and was up-regulated with ascending tumor World Health Organization (WHO) grades. The elevated expression of CLIC1 protein was also significantly correlated with low Karnofsky performance score (KPS) (P=0.008). Moreover, both univariate and multivariate analysis shown that high CLIC1 expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with gliomas (P<0.001 and P=0.01, respectively). In particular, the elevated CLIC1 expression also correlated with shorter overall survival in different glioma subgroups stratified according to the WHO grading. Conclusions Our data provide the first evidence that CLIC1 expression might play an important role in the regulation of aggressiveness in human gliomas. The elevated expression of CLIC1 might represent a valuable prognostic marker for this disease. PMID:22578365

This paper deals with the performance analysis of Spatial Multiplexing(SM) multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system with time reversal (TR) technology. Focus is given on the spatial multiplexing gain of MIMO than the diversity gain aspect with the notion that the idea of diversity is inseparably associated with the uncertainty of the channel. If transmitter knows Channel State Information (CSI) before transmission, potential benefits can be harvested. TR is used here, to provide Channel State Information (CSI) at the transmitter before transmission. With the features of temporal and spatial focusing, TR not only can provide immunity against fading for spatially multiplexed data stream but also help boost its Multi Stream Interference (MSI) limited performance by mitigating it. The performance analysis of SM-MIMOTR is carried out with the aim of average minimum error probability for quantity of interest data rate. The interest date rate is 19.07 Mbps, where as the average minimum error probably is set to be that of Single Input Multi Output (SIMO) maximum ratio combining system (MRC). BER of Single Input Single Output (SISO) system is also simulated for making comparison tangible. Simulation study shows that Bit Error Rate (BER) performance of the system with the data rate of interest nearly coincides with that of SIMO system at the range of 10-15db and is better than SISO in all simulated Eb/No points. Additionally, from the standpoint of tread off curve, between diversity gain and spatial multiplexing gain, the non linearity nature still holds.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless mesh networks (WMNs) aim to provide the last-mile broadband wireless access to the Internet. Along with the algorithmic development for WMNs, some fundamental mathematical problems also emerge in various aspects such as routing, scheduling, and channel assignment, all of which require an effective mathematical model and rigorous analysis of network properties. In this paper, we propose to employ Cartesian product of graphs (CPG) as a multichannel modeling approach and explore a set of unique properties of triangular WMNs. In each layer of CPG with a single channel, we design a node coordinate scheme thatmore » retains the symmetric property of triangular meshes and develop a function for the assignment of node identity numbers based on their coordinates. We also derive a necessary-sufficient condition for interference-free links and combinatorial formulas to determine the number of the shortest paths for channel realization in triangular WMNs.« less

Ten subjects were presented with a random sequence of 50 msec tone pips at a rapid rate (averaging one tone every 225 msec). The tones came from four different sound sources or sensory "channels" each having a different pitch (2000,4000,1000, and 500 c/sec respectively) and perceived spatial position (spaced equidistant across the head). Within each sensory "channel" a random 10% of the tones were of a slightly higher pitch (designated as "targets"). The subject attended to one channel at a time for 7.5 min and counted the targets in that channel. The auditory evoked vertex potential elicited by a channel of stimuli when attended was compared with the mean vertex potential elicited by those same stimuli when the other three channels were being attended. The N1 component (latency 80130 msec) measured re a baseline revealed an increase with attention (82% in the baselineN1 measure, P less than 10-). It was concluded that: (1) this N1 enhancement could not be attributed to peripheral mechanisms acting on sensory transmission; (2) this N1 enhancement reflects a "finely tuned" selective attention to one channel of stimuli among several concurrent and competing channels; and (3) a probable relationship exists between the information load on the subject and the magnitude of this EP enhancement with selective attention. PMID:45943

This paper attempts to tackle one of the challenges faced in soft input soft output Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) detection systems, which is to achieve optimal error rate performance with minimal power consumption. This is realized by proposing a new algorithm design that comprises multiple thresholds within the detector that, in real time, specify the receiver behavior according to the current channel in both slow and fast fading conditions, giving it adaptivity. This adaptivity enables energy savings within the system since the receiver chooses whether to accept or to reject the transmission, according to the success rate of detecting thresholds. The thresholds are calculated using the mutual information of the instantaneous channel conditions between the transmitting and receiving antennas of iterative-MIMO systems. In addition, the power saving technique, Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling, helps to reduce the circuit power demands of the adaptive algorithm. This adaptivity has the potential to save up to 30% of the total energy when it is implemented on Xilinx®Virtex-5 simulation hardware. Results indicate the benefits of having this "intelligence" in the adaptive algorithm due to the promising performance-complexity tradeoff parameters in both software and hardware codesign simulation.

In this paper, we consider the design of space code for an intensity modulated direct detection multi-input-multi-output optical wireless communication (IM/DD MIMO-OWC) system, in which channel coefficients are independent and non-identically log-normal distributed, with variances and means known at the transmitter and channel state information available at the receiver. Utilizing the existing space code design criterion for IM/DD MIMO-OWC with a maximum likelihood (ML) detector, we design a diversity-optimal space code (DOSC) that maximizes both large-scale diversity and small-scale diversity gains and prove that the spatial repetition code (RC) with a diversity-optimized power allocation is diversity-optimal among all the high dimensional nonnegative space code schemes under a commonly used optical power constraint. In addition, we show that one of significant advantages of the DOSC is to allow low-complexity ML detection. Simulation results indicate that in high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regimes, our proposed DOSC significantly outperforms RC, which is the best space code currently available for such system. PMID:27137232

Communication at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies is defining a new era of wireless communication. The mmWave band offers higher bandwidth communication channels versus those presently used in commercial wireless systems. The applications of mmWave are immense: wireless local and personal area networks in the unlicensed band, 5G cellular systems, not to mention vehicular area networks, ad hoc networks, and wearables. Signal processing is critical for enabling the next generation of mmWave communication. Due to the use of large antenna arrays at the transmitter and receiver, combined with radio frequency and mixed signal power constraints, new multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication signal processing techniques are needed. Because of the wide bandwidths, low complexity transceiver algorithms become important. There are opportunities to exploit techniques like compressed sensing for channel estimation and beamforming. This article provides an overview of signal processing challenges in mmWave wireless systems, with an emphasis on those faced by using MIMO communication at higher carrier frequencies.

The application of MIMO (Multiple input multiple output) techniques to spaceborne multichannel radar offers a number of advantages, including target detection, parameter estimation, and so on. Based on two kinds of waveforms presented in MIMO radar, a concise definition of synthetical ISLR is proposed. Through analysis of synthetical ISLR for two kinds of waveforms, it concludes that compared with orthogonal frequency division waveform, the crosscorrelation of orthogonal code waveform badly weakens the performance of spaceborne MIMO radar in GMTI (Ground moving target indication). Thus, by adopting orthogonal frequency division waveform, the basic principle of space-time-frequency adaptive processing is studied. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of frequency division orthogonal MIMO radar in improving clutter suppression and GMTI performance.

Ten subjects were presented with random, rapid sequences of four auditory tones which were separated in pitch and apparent spatial position. The N1 component of the auditory vertex evoked potential (EP) measured relative to a baseline was observed to increase with attention. It was concluded that the N1 enhancement reflects a finely tuned selective attention to one stimulus channel among several concurrent, competing channels. This EP enhancement probably increases with increased information load on the subject.

This study focused on natural convection heat transfer using a vertical rectangular sub-channel and water as the coolant fluid. To conduct this study has been made pipe heaters are equipped with thermocouples. Each heater is equipped with five thermocouples along the heating pipes. The diameter of each heater is 2.54 cm and 45 cm in length. The distance between the central heating and the pitch is 29.5 cm. Test equipment is equipped with a primary cooling system, a secondary cooling system and a heat exchanger. The purpose of this study is to obtain new empirical correlations equations of the vertical rectangular sub-channel, especially for the natural convection heat transfer within a bundle of vertical cylinders rectangular arrangement sub-channels. The empirical correlation equation can support the thermo-hydraulic analysis of research nuclear reactors that utilize cylindrical fuel rods, and also can be used in designing of baffle-free vertical shell and tube heat exchangers. The results of this study that the empirical correlation equations of natural convection heat transfer coefficients with rectangular arrangement is Nu = 6.3357 (Ra.Dh/x)0.0740.

A dual resonant antenna configuration is developed for multistandard multifunction mobile handsets and portable computers. Only two wideband resonant antennas can cover most of the LTE spectrums in portable communication equipment. The bandwidth that can be covered by each antenna exceeds 70% without using any matching or tuning circuits, with efficiencies that reach 80%. Thus, a dual configuration of them is capable of covering up to 39 LTE (4G) bands besides the existing 2G and 3G bands. 2×2 MIMO configurations have been also developed for the two wideband antennas with a maximum isolation and a minimum correlation coefficient between the primary and the diversity antennas. PMID:24558322

Aquaporins are homotetrameric channel proteins, which allow the diffusion of water and small solutes across biological membranes. According to their transport function, aquaporins can be divided into “orthodox aquaporins”, which allow the flux of water molecules only, and “aquaglyceroporins”, which facilitate the diffusion of glycerol and other small solutes in addition to water. The contribution of individual residues in the pore to the selectivity of orthodox aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins is not yet fully understood. To gain insights into aquaporin selectivity, we focused on the sequence variation and electrostatics of their channels. The continuum Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatic potential along the channel was calculated and compared for ten three-dimensional-structures which are representatives of different aquaporin subfamilies, and a panel of functionally characterized mutants, for which high-accuracy three-dimensional-models could be derived. Interestingly, specific electrostatic profiles associated with the main selectivity to water or glycerol could be identified. In particular: (i) orthodox aquaporins showed a distinctive electrostatic potential maximum at the periplasmic side of the channel around the aromatic/Arg (ar/R) constriction site; (ii) aquaporin-0 (AQP0), a mammalian aquaporin with considerably low water permeability, had an additional deep minimum at the cytoplasmic side; (iii) aquaglyceroporins showed a rather flat potential all along the channel; and (iv) the bifunctional protozoan PfAQP had an unusual all negative profile. Evaluation of electrostatics of the mutants, along with a thorough sequence analysis of the aquaporin pore-lining residues, illuminated the contribution of specific residues to the electrostatics of the channels and possibly to their selectivity. PMID:20147624

The core aim of this work is the maximization of the achievable data rate of the secondary user pairs (SU pairs), while ensuring the QoS of primary users (PUs). All users are assumed to be equipped with multiple antennas. It is assumed that when PUs are present, the direct communications between SU pairs introduces intolerable interference to PUs and thereby SUs transmit signal using the cooperation of other SUs and avoid transmitting in the direct channel. In brief, an adaptive cooperative strategy for multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) cognitive radio networks is proposed. At the presence of PUs, the issue of joint relay selection and power allocation in Underlay MIMO Cooperative Cognitive Radio Networks (U-MIMO-CCRN) is addressed. The optimal approach for determining the power allocation and the cooperating SU is proposed. Besides, the outage probability of the proposed communication protocol is further derived. Due to high complexity of the optimal approach, a low-complexity approach is further proposed and its performance is evaluated using simulations. The simulation results reveal that the performance loss due to the low-complexity approach is only about 14%, while the complexity is greatly reduced.

We study the average capacity performance for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) free-space optical (FSO) communication systems using multiple partially coherent beams propagating through non-Kolmogorov strong turbulence, assuming equal gain combining diversity configuration and the sum of multiple gamma-gamma random variables for multiple independent partially coherent beams. The closed-form expressions of scintillation and average capacity are derived and then used to analyze the dependence on the number of independent diversity branches, power law α, refractive-index structure parameter, propagation distance and spatial coherence length of source beams. Obtained results show that, the average capacity increases more significantly with the increase in the rank of MIMOchannel matrix compared with the diversity order. The effect of the diversity order on the average capacity is independent of the power law, turbulence strength parameter and spatial coherence length, whereas these effects on average capacity are gradually mitigated as the diversity order increases. The average capacity increases and saturates with the decreasing spatial coherence length, at rates depending on the diversity order, power law and turbulence strength. There exist optimal values of the spatial coherence length and diversity configuration for maximizing the average capacity of MIMO FSO links over a variety of atmospheric turbulence conditions. PMID:23842307

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in using steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) in brain-computer interface (BCI) systems. However, several aspects of current SSVEP-based BCI systems need improvement, specifically in relation to speed, user variation and ease of use. With these improvements in mind, this paper presents an online multi-channel SSVEP-based BCI system using a canonical correlation analysis (CCA) method for extraction of frequency information associated with the SSVEP. The key parameters, channel location, window length and the number of harmonics, are investigated using offline data, and the result used to guide the design of the online system. An SSVEP-based BCI system with six targets, which use nine channel locations in the occipital and parietal lobes, a window length of 2 s and the first harmonic, is used for online testing on 12 subjects. The results show that the proposed BCI system has a high performance, achieving an average accuracy of 95.3% and an information transfer rate of 58 ± 9.6 bit min-1. The positive characteristics of the proposed system are that channel selection and parameter optimization are not required, the possible use of harmonic frequencies, low user variation and easy setup.

In our present work, we have successfully designed, and developed an FPGA based smart wireless MIMO (Multiple Input & Multiple Output) system capable of controlling multiple industrial process parameters such as temperature, pressure, stress and vibration etc. To achieve this task we have used Xilin x Spartan 3E FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) instead of conventional microcontrollers. By employing FPGA kit to PC via RF transceivers which has a working range of about 100 meters. The developed smart system is capable of performing the control task assigned to it successfully. We have also provided a provision to our proposed system that can be accessed for monitoring and control through the web and GSM as well. Our proposed system can be equally applied to all the hazardous and rugged industrial environments where a conventional system cannot work effectively.

We analyze and simulate the tolerance of frequency offset at a W-band optical-wireless transmission system. The transmission system adopts optical polarization division multiplexing (PDM), and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) reception. The transmission signal adopts optical quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation, and the generation of millimeter-wave is based on the optical heterodyning technique. After 20-km single-mode fiber-28 (SMF-28) transmission, tens of Gb/s millimeter-wave signal is delivered. At the receiver, two millimeter-wave signals are down-converted into electrical intermediate-frequency (IF) signals in the analog domain by mixing with two electrical local oscillators (LOs) with different frequencies. We investigate the different frequency LO effect on the 2×2 MIMO system performance for the first time, finding that the process during DSP of implementing frequency offset estimation (FOE) before cascaded multi-modulus-algorithm (CMMA) equalization can get rid of the inter-channel interference (ICI) and improve system bit-error-ratio (BER) performance in this type of transmission system.

This paper presents a novel matched rotation precoding (MRP) scheme to design a rate one space-frequency block code (SFBC) and a multirate SFBC for MIMO-OFDM systems with limited feedback. The proposed rate one MRP and multirate MRP can always achieve full transmit diversity and optimal system performance for arbitrary number of antennas, subcarrier intervals, and subcarrier groupings, with limited channel knowledge required by the transmit antennas. The optimization process of the rate one MRP is simple and easily visualized so that the optimal rotation angle can be derived explicitly, or even intuitively for some cases. The multirate MRP has a complex optimization process, but it has a better spectral efficiency and provides a relatively smooth balance between system performance and transmission rate. Simulations show that the proposed SFBC with MRP can overcome the diversity loss for specific propagation scenarios, always improve the system performance, and demonstrate flexible performance with large performance gain. Therefore the proposed SFBCs with MRP demonstrate flexibility and feasibility so that it is more suitable for a practical MIMO-OFDM system with dynamic parameters.

In the context of multi-hop cellular communications, user equipment devices (UEs) with relaying capabilities provide a virtual infrastructure that can enhance the cell spectral efficiency. UE relays, which are generally transparent to the destination user and lack channel state information, mainly operate in an open-loop mode. Most open-loop transmission techniques for relaying are based on orthogonal space-time block coding (OSTBC), which offers a good trade-off between performance and complexity. In this paper, we consider the concept of multi-functional multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission, which combines OSTBC with beamforming techniques. This concept is applied to networks with multiple relays, which can offer a high number of antennas to implement multi-functional MIMO techniques. The proposed schemes are shown to reduce the bit error rate of the destination user with respect to a direct transmission from the base station (BS). Furthermore, the multi-functional setup exhibits better performance than conventional OSTBC at high transmission rates.

The MIMO system is an attractive technology for wireless 3G/4G systems. In this article we propose the realization on FPGA of a MIMO 'V-BLAST Square Root' algorithm based on a variable number of CORDIC operators. The CORDIC operator is highly suitable for this implementation as it only relies on simple techniques of addition and vector offsets. This square root algorithm architecture is reconfigurable in order to adapt itself to different numbers of antennas and different data rates. The proposed architecture can achieve a data rate of 600 Mbit/s in a Virtex-II FPGA circuit from Xilinx for the MIMO system with QPSK modulation. To cite this article: H. Wang et al., C. R. Physique 7 (2006).

This paper presents experimental results in real propagation channel environments of real-time 1-Gbps packet transmission using antenna-dependent adaptive modulation and channel coding (AMC) with 4-by-4 MIMO multiplexing in the downlink Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) radio access. In the experiment, Maximum Likelihood Detection employing QR decomposition and the M-algorithm (QRM-MLD) with adaptive selection of the surviving symbol replica candidates (ASESS) is employed to achieve such a high data rate at a lower received signal-to-interference plus background noise power ratio (SINR). The field experiments, which are conducted at the average moving speed of 30km/h, show that real-time packet transmission of greater than 1Gbps in a 100-MHz channel bandwidth (i.e., 10bits/second/Hz) is achieved at the average received SINR of approximately 13.5dB using 16QAM modulation and turbo coding with the coding rate of 8/9. Furthermore, we show that the measured throughput of greater than 1Gbps is achieved at the probability of approximately 98% in a measurement course, where the maximum distance from the cell site was approximately 300m with the respective transmitter and receiver antenna separation of 1.5m and 40cm with the total transmission power of 10W. The results also clarify that the minimum required receiver antenna spacing is approximately 10cm (1.5 carrier wave length) to suppress the loss in the required received SINR at 1-Gbps throughput to within 1dB compared to that assuming the fading correlation between antennas of zero both under non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and line-of-sight (LOS) conditions.

We introduce the use of cross-correlations in the passive multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW), and report an improvement in the determination of subsurface shear velocities from ambient seismic noise. Velocities are measured from phase-shifts that are also related to the source location. Consequently, the accuracy with which velocities can be inferred depends on the ability of the array to locate noise sources. The computation of cross-correlations for each receiver pair allows increasing the effective spatial sampling of the array. For this reason, we show that beamforming is more efficient with cross-correlated signals. Consequently, MASW performed with cross-correlations produces a dispersion diagram where aliasing is reduced and signal-to-noise ratio increased. The proposed method is validated with synthetic records. It is then applied on passive recordings obtained on top of a sea dike at high tide, where sea waves were acting as continuous seismic sources. Surface wave velocities that favorably compare with hammer shot measurements are inferred.

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) represents a highly promising technique for 4G communication networks as it uses multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver to improve the reliability of transmissions and to provide a high data rate. This paper introduces an adjustable scheduling algorithm for multi-user MIMO systems that can provide an advantageous trade-off solution between throughput maximization and fair resource allocation among users. Specifically, our algorithm is proposed as a solution to system requirement issues through the flexible control of fairness factors.

Most of the processes in real time industries are multi input multi output (MIMO) in nature. Normally RGA method is used to decouple the interference between the process loops. The decouplers can be easily designed for the stable processes with dead time. As a special case we will also obtain the mathematical model of certain systems as a non-square system with unstable/integrating process. Designing the controller for such processes is being a challenging one. As a case study, we have made an attempt to design the controller for the rotary inverted pendulum, whose mathematical model is resulted as a Non-Square MIMO integrating process.

Recently proposed multiple input multiple output radars based on matrix completion (MIMO-MC) employ sparse sampling to reduce the amount of data that need to be forwarded to the radar fusion center, and as such enable savings in communication power and bandwidth. This paper proposes designs that optimize the sharing of spectrum between a MIMO-MC radar and a communication system, so that the latter interferes minimally with the former. First, the communication system transmit covariance matrix is designed to minimize the effective interference power (EIP) to the radar receiver, while maintaining certain average capacity and transmit power for the communication system. Two approaches are proposed, namely a noncooperative and a cooperative approach, with the latter being applicable when the radar sampling scheme is known at the communication system. Second, a joint design of the communication transmit covariance matrix and the MIMO-MC radar sampling scheme is proposed, which achieves even further EIP reduction.

Considering the error propagation effect and high complexity of the Vertical Bell Labs Layered Space Time (V-BLAST), a novel nonlinear ZF-THP algorithm for VBLAST in MIMO-MC-CDMA downlink system is proposed in this paper. QR decomposition is used for precoding matrix, the nonlinear Tomlinson-Harashima Precoding (THP) is used between the sub-carrier channels of MC-CDMA to eliminate interference from other signals at the transmitter, and can obtain frequency diversity gain and eliminate effectively the error propagation effect. At the receiver, zero forcing criterion is used, and the complexity of the receiver can be reduced. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is better than the traditional zero forcing algorithm and the linear precoding algorithm in the system BER.

Transient Receptor Potential cation channel, subfamily Melastatin, member 8 (TRPM8) is involved in detection of cold temperature, different noxious compounds and in execution of thermo- as well as chemo-sensitive responses at cellular levels. Here we explored the molecular evolution of TRPM8 by analyzing sequences from various species. We elucidate that several regions of TRPM8 had different levels of selection pressure but the 4th–5th transmembrane regions remain highly conserved. Analysis of synteny suggests that since vertebrate origin, TRPM8 gene is linked with SPP2, a bone morphogen. TRPM8, especially the N-terminal region of it, seems to be highly variable in human population. We found 16,656 TRPM8 variants in 1092 human genomes with top variations being SNPs, insertions and deletions. A total of 692 missense mutations are also mapped to human TRPM8 protein of which 509 seem to be delateroiours in nature as supported by Polyphen V2, SIFT and Grantham deviation score. Using a highly specific antibody, we demonstrate that TRPM8 is expressed endogenously in the testis of rat and sperm cells of different vertebrates ranging from fish to higher mammals. We hypothesize that TRPM8 had emerged during vertebrate evolution (ca 450 MYA). We propose that expression of TRPM8 in sperm cell and its role in regulating sperm function are important factors that have guided its molecular evolution, and that these understandings may have medical importance. PMID:26500819

We present novel soft-input soft-output (SISO) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) detectors based on the Chase detection principle [1] in the context of iterative and decoding (IDD). The proposed detector complexity is linear in the signal modulation constellation size and the number of spatial streams. Two variants of the SISO detector are developed, referred to as SISO B-Chase and SISO L-Chase. An efficient method is presented that uses the decoder output to modulate the signal constellation decision boundaries inside the detector leading to the SISO detector architecture. The performance of these detectors significantly improves with just a few number of IDD iterations. The effect of transmit and receive antenna correlation is simulated. For the high-correlation case, the superiority of SISO B-Chase over the SISO L-Chase is demonstrated.

The performance of absolute added correlative coding (AACC) modulation format with direct detection has been numerically and analytically reported, targeting metro data center interconnects. Hereby, the focus lies on the performance of the bit error rate, noise contributions, spectral efficiency, and chromatic dispersion tolerance. The signal space model of AACC, where the average electrical and optical power expressions are derived for the first time, is also delineated. The proposed modulation format was also compared to other well-known signaling, such as on-off-keying (OOK) and four-level pulse-amplitude modulation, at the same bit rate in a directly modulated vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser-based transmission system. The comparison results show a clear advantage of AACC in achieving longer fiber delivery distance due to the higher dispersion tolerance.

We present in this paper an integrated robust image transmission scheme using space-time block codes (STBC) over multi-input multi-output (MIMO) wireless systems. First, in order to achieve an excellent error resilient capability, multiple bitstreams are generated based on wavelet trees along the spatial orientations. The spatial-orientation trees in the wavelet domain are individually encoded using SPIHT. Error propagation is thus limited within each bitstreams. Then, Reed-Solomon (R-S) codes as forward error correction (FEC) are adopted to combat transmission errors over error-prone wireless channels and to detect residual errors so as to avoid error propagation in each bitstream. FEC can reduce the bit error rates at the expenses of increased data rate. However, it is often difficult to design an optimal FEC scheme for a time-varying multi-path fading channel that may fluctuate beyond the capacity of the adopted FEC scheme. Therefore, in order to overcome such difficulty, we propose an approach to alleviate the effect of multi-path fading by employing the STBC for spatial diversity with assumption that channel state information (CSI) is perfectly estimated at the receiver. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can achieve much improved performance in terms of PSNR over Rayleigh flat fading channel as compared with a wireless system without spatial diversity.

A fortuitous sequence of closely spaced earthquakes in the Rana region of northern Norway, during 2005, has provided an ideal natural laboratory for investigating event detectability using waveform correlation over networks and arrays at regional distances. A small number of events between magnitude 2.0 and 3.5 were recorded with a high SNR by the Fennoscandian IMS seismic arrays at distances over 600 km and three of these events, including the largest on 24 June, displayed remarkable waveform similarity even at relatively high frequencies. In an effort to detect occurrences of smaller earthquakes in the immediate geographical vicinity of the 24 June event, a multi-channelcorrelation detector for the NORSAR array was run for the whole calender year 2005 using the signal from the master event as a template. A total of 32 detections were made and all but 2 of these coincided with independent correlation detections using the other Nordic IMS array stations; very few correspond to signals detectable using traditional energy detectors. Permanent and temporary stations of the Norwegian National Seismic Network (NNSN) at far closer epicentral distances have confirmed that all but one of the correlation detections at NORSAR in fact correspond to real events. The closest stations at distances of approximately 10 km can confirm that the smallest of these events have magnitudes down to 0.5 which represents a detection threshold reduction of over 1.5 for the large-aperture NORSAR array and over 1.0 for the almost equidistant regional ARCES array. The incompleteness of the local network recordings precludes a comprehensive double-difference location for the full set of events. However, stable double-difference relative locations can be obtained for eight of the events using only the Lg phase recorded at the array stations. All events appear to be separated by less than 0.5 km. Clear peaks were observed in the NORSAR correlation coefficient traces during the coda of some of the

Several techniques exist to estimate relative delay times of seismic phases based on the assumption that the waveforms observed at several stations can be expressed as a common waveform that has been time shifted and distorted by random uncorrelated noise. We explore the more general problem of estimating the relative delay times for regional or even global distributions of seismometers in cases where waveforms vary systematically across the array. The estimation of relative delay times is formulated as a global optimization of the weighted sum of squares of cross correlations of each seismogram pair evaluated at the corresponding difference in their relative delay times. As there are many local minima in this penalty function, a simulated annealing algorithm is used to obtain a solution. The weights depend strongly on the separation distance among seismogram pairs as well as a measure of the similarity of waveforms. Thus, seismograph pairs that are physically close to each other and have similar waveforms are expected to be well aligned while those with dissimilar waveforms or large separation distances are severely down-weighted and thus need not be well aligned. As a result noisy seismograms, which are not similar to other seismograms, are down-weighted so they do not adversely effect the relative delay times of other seismograms. Finally, natural clusters of seismograms are determined from the weight matrix. Examples of aligning a few hundred P and PKP waveforms from a broadband global array and from a mixed broadband and short-period continental-scale array will be shown. While this method has applications in many situations, it may be especially useful for arrays such as the EarthScope Bigfoot Array.

This article proposed an improved Wigner-Hough Transform (WHT) for multicarrier LFM signals of MIMO radars (MIMO-LFM). First, the signal model of the intercepted MIMO-LFM signals and the localisation of conventional WHT for this signal model are analysed. Therefore, we present the new WHT with multiple matching components, which is called as multicomponent WHT (MWHT). Then the detection and parameters estimation performance of MWHT are deduced, and analytical results indicate that MWHT is superior to conventional WHT for MIMO-LFM. In order to reduce the computation cost, a coarse estimation method is introduced. Finally, the numerical simulations demonstrate the validity of MWHT, as well as analytical results.

We describe a novel architecture of broadband ubiquitous femto-cell network with MIMO distributed antenna systems accommodated in WDM-PON. A technical convergence of WDM-PON and time division multiplexed RoF techniques can realize the universality of base stations with various types of broadband air interfaces, the increase of wireless access throughput, and the scalability of service area covered by MIMO distributed antenna systems. We discuss the configuration of MIMO antenna systems, transmission scheme of MIMO RF signals over WDM-PON, and configurations of center station and base stations. The preliminary experiments of proposed network architecture are demonstrated.

A novel MIMO equalization architecture optimized for baud rate clock recovery (BCR-MIMO) in coherent 112 Gbit/sec dual polarization quadrature phase shift keying (DP-QPSK) metro systems is proposed. This architecture is designed to decouple between multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) equalization and clock recovery (CR) loops, avoiding the interaction between them. The decoupling between the two loops is achieved, while maintaining similar MIMO equalizer performance, as compared to the butterfly-structured equalizer.

Photoelectron imaging results are presented for I-.X cluster anions (X = CO2, C4H5N [pyrrole], (CH3)2CO, CH3NO2). The available detachment channels are labeled according to the neutral iodine atom states produced (channel I ≡ 2P3/2 and channel II ≡ 2P1/2). At photon energies in the vicinity of the channel II threshold these data are compared to previously reported results for I-.X (X = CH3CN, CH3Cl, CH3Br, and H2O). In particular, these results show a strong connection between the dipole moment of the solvent molecule and the behavior of the channel I photoelectron angular distributions in this region, which is consistent with an electronic autodetachment process. The evolution of the channel II:channel I branching ratios in this excitation regime supports this contention.

The upper limit to countercurrent flow, namely, flooding, is important to analyze the reactor coolability during an emergency cooling system (ECS) phase as a result of a large-break loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) such as a double-ended guillotine break in the Savannah River Site (SRS) reactor system. During normal operation, the reactor coolant system utilizes downward flow through concentric heated tubes with ribs, which subdivided each annular channel into four subchannels. In this paper, a new flooding correlation has been developed based on the analytical models and literature data for adiabatic, steady-state, one-dimensional, air-water flow to predict flooding phenomenon in the SRS reactor assembly channel, which may have a counter-current air-water flow pattern during the ECS phase. In addition, the correlation was benchmarked against the experimental data conducted under the Oak Ridge National Laboratory multislit channel, which is close to the SRS assembly geometry. Furthermore, the correlation has also been used as a constitutive relationship in a new two-component two-phase thermal-hydraulics code FLOWTRAN-TF, which has been developed for a detailed analysis of SRS reactor assembly behavior during LOCA scenarios. Finally, the flooding correlation was applied to the predictions of critical heat flux, and the results were compared with the data taken by the SRS heat transfer laboratory under a single annular channel with ribs and a multiannular prototypic test rig.

A method and apparatus are described for synchronizing a received PCM communications signal without requiring a separate synchronizing channel. The technique provides digital correlation of the received signal with a reference signal, first with its unmodulated subcarrier and then with a bit sync code modulated subcarrier, where the code sequence length is equal in duration to each data bit.

Measurements have been made over a 255 km radio path between Durham and Leicester in the UK in order to investigate the potential applicability of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) techniques to communications within the HF band. This paper describes the results from experiments in which compact heterogeneous antenna arrays have been employed. The results of these experiments indicate that traditional spaced HF antenna arrays can be replaced by compact, active, heterogeneous arrays in order to achieve the required levels of decorrelation between the various antenna elements. An example case study is also presented which highlights the importance of the variable nature of the ionosphere in the context of HF-MIMO radio links.

In this area of high performance systems and sophistication, the antenna size is shrinking drastically. This paper reviews the fundamental limitations in electrically instigated small antennas and their implications on multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems. An optimum performance of the antenna can be obtained by considering three main factors. (1) maximum gain for given frequency (2) minimum Q factor (3) maximum ratio of G/Q. It is essential to understand the basic concepts of these small antennas to counter the limitations for next generational systems. In this paper works of three prominent scientists like Wheeler, Hansen and Chu have been studied to understand these limitations. This study can be further expanded to accumulate various space time diverse MIMO systems specified in long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) standards. The impact of limitations of small antennas can be very significant on the performance of the given node.

Coherent multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar systems with co-located antennas, form monostatic vir- tual arrays by discrete convolution of a bistatic setup of transmitters and receivers. Thereby, a trade-off between maximum array dimension, element spacing and hardware efforts exists. In terms of estimating the direction of arrival, the covariance matrix of the array element signals plays an important role. Here, minimum redundancy arrays aim at a hardware reduction with signal reconstruction by exploiting the Toeplitz characteristics of the covariance matrix. However, the discrete spatial convolution complicates the finding of an optimal antenna setup with minimum redundancy. Combinatorial effort is the consequence. This paper presents a possible simplified algorithm in order to find MIMO array setups of maximum dimension with minimum redundancy.

A multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) antenna that comprises a printed microstrip antenna and a printed double-L sleeve monopole antenna for LTE 1800 wireless application is presented. The printed double-L sleeve monopole antenna is fed by a 50 ohm coplanar waveguide (CPW). A novel T-shaped microstrip feedline printed on the other side of the PCB is used to excite the waveguide's outer shell. Isolation characteristics better than -15 dB can be obtained for the proposed MIMO antenna. The proposed antenna can operate in LTE 1800 (1710 MHz-1880 MHz). This antenna exhibits omnidirectional characteristics. The efficiency of the antenna is greater than 70% and has high gain of 2.18 dBi. PMID:24967440

A multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) antenna that comprises a printed microstrip antenna and a printed double-L sleeve monopole antenna for LTE 1800 wireless application is presented. The printed double-L sleeve monopole antenna is fed by a 50 ohm coplanar waveguide (CPW). A novel T-shaped microstrip feedline printed on the other side of the PCB is used to excite the waveguide's outer shell. Isolation characteristics better than −15 dB can be obtained for the proposed MIMO antenna. The proposed antenna can operate in LTE 1800 (1710 MHz–1880 MHz). This antenna exhibits omnidirectional characteristics. The efficiency of the antenna is greater than 70% and has high gain of 2.18 dBi. PMID:24967440

This paper presents a time division multiple access (TDMA) multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with a sliding range window for automated position-keeping, which can be applied in vessel tracking/escorting, offshore deepwater drillship equipment servicing, etc. A MIMO SAR sensor predefines a special part of the target (i.e., the drillship, ship, or submarine) as the measurement target and does not need special assistant devices/targets installed on the target vessel/platform, so its application is convenient. In the measurement process, the sensor scans the target with multiple ranging gates, forms images of multiple sections of the target, detects the predefined part/target in these images, and then obtains the range and angle of the predefined target for relative localization. Our MIMO SAR has 13 transmitting antennas and 8 receiving antennas. All transmitting antennas share a transmitter and all receiving antennas share a receiver using switches to reduce cost. The MIMO SAR radar has 44 effective SAR phase centers, and the azimuth angle resolution is θ0.5/44 (finest, θ 0.5 is the antenna element's 3dB beamwidth). The transmitter transmits a chirped linear frequency modulated continuous wave (LFMCW) signal, and the receiver only processes the signal limited in the beat frequency region defined by the distance from the measurement target to the sensor and the interested measurement target extension, which is determined by the receiver bandwidth. With the sliding range window, the sensor covers a large range, and in the covered range window, it provides high accuracy measurements.

Multi-input multi-output (MIMO) technique is attractive for visible light communication (VLC), which exploits the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single channel to overcome the capacity limitation due to the small modulation bandwidth of the light emitting diode. This paper establishes a MIMO VLC system under the non-negativity, peak power and dimmable average power constraints. Assume that perfect channel state information at the transmitter is known, the MIMOchannel is changed to parallel, non-interfering sub-channels by using the singular value decomposition (SVD). Based on the SVD, the lower bound on the channel capacity for MIMO VLC is derived by employing entropy power inequality and variational method. Moreover, by maximizing the derived lower bound on the capacity under the given constraints, the receiver deployment optimization problem is formulated. The problem is solved by employing the principle of particle swarm optimization. Numerical results verify the derived capacity bound and the proposed deployment optimization scheme. PMID:27410325

In this paper, we explore the characteristics of a concrete block as a communication medium with piezoelectric transducers. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is a piezoceramic material used in smart materials intended for structural health monitoring (SHM). Additionally, a PZT based smart aggregate (SA) is capable of implementing stress wave communications which is utilized for investigating the properties of an SA based concrete channel. Our experiments characterize single-input single-output and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) concrete channels in order to determine the potential capacity limits of SAs for stress wave communication. We first provide estimates and validate the concrete channel response. Followed by a theoretical upper bound for data rate capacity of our two channels, demonstrating a near-twofold increase in channel capacity by utilizing multiple transceivers to form an MIMO system. Our channel modeling techniques and results are also helpful to researchers using SAs with regards to SHM, energy harvesting and stress wave communications.

This paper presents a 3-D near-field imaging algorithm that is formulated for 2-D wideband multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) imaging array topology. The proposed MIMO range migration technique performs the image reconstruction procedure in the frequency-wavenumber domain. The algorithm is able to completely compensate the curvature of the wavefront in the near-field through a specifically defined interpolation process and provides extremely high computational efficiency by the application of the fast Fourier transform. The implementation aspects of the algorithm and the sampling criteria of a MIMO aperture are discussed. The image reconstruction performance and computational efficiency of the algorithm are demonstrated both with numerical simulations and measurements using 2-D MIMO arrays. Real-time 3-D near-field imaging can be achieved with a real-aperture array by applying the proposed MIMO range migration techniques. PMID:22345541

We present two algorithms for determining sensor motion of a multi-spectral push-broom imager for use in subsequent image registration. The first algorithm, termed the {open_quotes}pairwise{close_quotes} method, performs cross-correlations between individual pairs of channels. The offsets of maximum correlation are formulated into a system of linear equations whose solution gives an estimate of the jitter function. The second algorithm performs cross-correlations between channels and a reference image called the {open_quotes}baseline{close_quotes} which is constructed by averaging together all the channels in the image cube. An estimated jitter time series is computed for each channel, all of which are overlapped and averaged to obtain a best estimate of the jitter function. The pairwise method is more general in that it can handle a wider range of jitter scenarios. The baseline method, although more restricted, is very simple to implement, and its accuracy can be improved substantially through iteration. In this paper, we describe both methods in detail and present results of simulations performed on thermal-infrared data cubes.

In this paper, different methods for practical numerical radio frequency exposure compliance assessments of radio base station products were investigated. Both multi-band base station antennas and antennas designed for multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transmission schemes were considered. For the multi-band case, various standardized assessment methods were evaluated in terms of resulting compliance distance with respect to the reference levels and basic restrictions of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Both single frequency and multiple frequency (cumulative) compliance distances were determined using numerical simulations for a mobile communication base station antenna transmitting in four frequency bands between 800 and 2600 MHz. The assessments were conducted in terms of root-mean-squared electromagnetic fields, whole-body averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) and peak 10 g averaged SAR. In general, assessments based on peak field strengths were found to be less computationally intensive, but lead to larger compliance distances than spatial averaging of electromagnetic fields used in combination with localized SAR assessments. For adult exposure, the results indicated that even shorter compliance distances were obtained by using assessments based on localized and whole-body SAR. Numerical simulations, using base station products employing MIMO transmission schemes, were performed as well and were in agreement with reference measurements. The applicability of various field combination methods for correlated exposure was investigated, and best estimate methods were proposed. Our results showed that field combining methods generally considered as conservative could be used to efficiently assess compliance boundary dimensions of single- and dual-polarized multicolumn base station antennas with only minor increases in compliance distances. PMID:24523232

Membrane proteins play critically important roles in many cellular activities such as ions and small molecule transportation, signal recognition, and transduction. In order to fulfill their functions, these proteins must be placed in different membrane environments and a variety of protein-lipid interactions may affect the behavior of these proteins. One of the key effects of protein-lipid interactions is their ability to change the dynamics status of membrane proteins, thus adjusting their functions. Here, we present a multi-scaled normal mode analysis (mNMA) method to study the dynamics perturbation to the membrane proteins imposed by lipid bi-layer membrane fluctuations. In mNMA, channel proteins are simulated at all-atom level while the membrane is described with a coarse-grained model. mNMA calculations clearly show that channel gating motion can tightly couple with a variety of membrane deformations, including bending and twisting. We then examined bi-channel systems where two channels were separated with different distances. From mNMA calculations, we observed both positive and negative gating correlations between two neighboring channels, and the correlation has a maximum as the channel center-to-center distance is close to 2.5 times of their diameter. This distance is larger than recently found maximum attraction distance between two proteins embedded in membrane which is 1.5 times of the protein size, indicating that membrane fluctuation might impose collective motions among proteins within a larger area. The hybrid resolution feature in mNMA provides atomic dynamics information for key components in the system without costing much computer resource. We expect it to be a conventional simulation tool for ordinary laboratories to study the dynamics of very complicated biological assemblies. The source code is available upon request to the authors.

Membrane proteins play critically important roles in many cellular activities such as ions and small molecule transportation, signal recognition, and transduction. In order to fulfill their functions, these proteins must be placed in different membrane environments and a variety of protein-lipid interactions may affect the behavior of these proteins. One of the key effects of protein-lipid interactions is their ability to change the dynamics status of membrane proteins, thus adjusting their functions. Here, we present a multi-scaled normal mode analysis (mNMA) method to study the dynamics perturbation to the membrane proteins imposed by lipid bi-layer membrane fluctuations. In mNMA, channel proteins are simulated at all-atom level while the membrane is described with a coarse-grained model. mNMA calculations clearly show that channel gating motion can tightly couple with a variety of membrane deformations, including bending and twisting. We then examined bi-channel systems where two channels were separated with different distances. From mNMA calculations, we observed both positive and negative gating correlations between two neighboring channels, and the correlation has a maximum as the channel center-to-center distance is close to 2.5 times of their diameter. This distance is larger than recently found maximum attraction distance between two proteins embedded in membrane which is 1.5 times of the protein size, indicating that membrane fluctuation might impose collective motions among proteins within a larger area. The hybrid resolution feature in mNMA provides atomic dynamics information for key components in the system without costing much computer resource. We expect it to be a conventional simulation tool for ordinary laboratories to study the dynamics of very complicated biological assemblies. The source code is available upon request to the authors.

High-frequency temperature fluctuations recorded in the English Channel are compared using two long-term autonomous underwater monitoring stations at less than 20-min time resolution. Measurements were taken from 2005 to 2011 from two systems 460 km apart in the western and eastern parts of the English Channel. Spectral analysis reveals similar statistical behaviors, with approximate 5/3 spectra and several forcing frequencies in relation to tidal and daily cycles. A co-spectra study reveals a transition scale of 11 days. The influence of this scale is also visible though Time-Dependent Intrinsic Correlation analysis (TDIC)-a recently introduced cross-correlation analysis based on Empirical mode decomposition. This helps to spatialize high-frequency temporal records at a fixed location.

Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and Long Term Evolution-Advanced (ATE-A) have provided a major step forward in mobile communication capability. The objectives to be achieved are high peak data rates in high spectrum bandwidth and high spectral efficiencies. Technically, pre-coding means that multiple data streams are emitted from the transmit antenna with independent and appropriate weightings such that the link throughput is maximized at the receiver output thus increasing or equalizing the received signal to interference and noise (SINR) across the multiple receiver terminals. However, it is not reliable enough to fully utilize the information transfer rate to fit the condition of channel according to the bandwidth size. Thus, adaptive pre-coding is proposed. It applies pre-coding matrix indicator (PMI) channel state making it possible to change the pre-coding codebook accordingly thus improving the data rate higher than fixed pre-coding.

Decoherence-free subspaces (DFS) are to utilize the symmetric properties of the interaction between the system and environment so that they can be tolerant against the effect of decoherence. In this paper, we propose multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme to drive a finite-dimensional quantum system into DFS. For quantum system, the scheme is not only immune to dephasing but also feasible with currently available technology. Motivated by Shannon mutual information, we derive the capacity of MIMO quantum depolarizing channels.

A novel spatio-temporal 2-dimensional (2-D) processing method that can jointly estimate the transmitting-receiving azimuth and Doppler frequency for bistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar in the presence of spatial colored noise and an unknown number of targets is proposed. In the temporal domain, the cross-correlation of the matched filters’ outputs for different time-delay sampling is used to eliminate the spatial colored noise. In the spatial domain, the proposed method uses a diagonal loading method and subspace theory to estimate the direction of departure (DOD) and direction of arrival (DOA), and the Doppler frequency can then be accurately estimated through the estimation of the DOD and DOA. By skipping target number estimation and the eigenvalue decomposition (EVD) of the data covariance matrix estimation and only requiring a one-dimensional search, the proposed method achieves low computational complexity. Furthermore, the proposed method is suitable for bistatic MIMO radar with an arbitrary transmitted and received geometrical configuration. The correction and efficiency of the proposed method are verified by computer simulation results. PMID:26694385

A novel spatio-temporal 2-dimensional (2-D) processing method that can jointly estimate the transmitting-receiving azimuth and Doppler frequency for bistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar in the presence of spatial colored noise and an unknown number of targets is proposed. In the temporal domain, the cross-correlation of the matched filters' outputs for different time-delay sampling is used to eliminate the spatial colored noise. In the spatial domain, the proposed method uses a diagonal loading method and subspace theory to estimate the direction of departure (DOD) and direction of arrival (DOA), and the Doppler frequency can then be accurately estimated through the estimation of the DOD and DOA. By skipping target number estimation and the eigenvalue decomposition (EVD) of the data covariance matrix estimation and only requiring a one-dimensional search, the proposed method achieves low computational complexity. Furthermore, the proposed method is suitable for bistatic MIMO radar with an arbitrary transmitted and received geometrical configuration. The correction and efficiency of the proposed method are verified by computer simulation results. PMID:26694385

In January 2004, the first in situ extraterrestrial Mössbauer spectrum was received from the Martian surface. At the present time (May 2007) two Miniaturized Mössbauer Spectrometers (MIMOS II) on board of the two Mars Exploration Rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" continue to collect valuable scientific data. Both spectrometers are operational after more than 3 years of work. Originally, the mission was expected to last for 90 days. To date more than 600 spectra were obtained with a total integration time for both rovers exceeding 260 days. The MER mission has proven that Mössbauer spectroscopy is a valuable technique for the in situ exploration of extraterrestrial bodies and the study of Fe-bearing samples. The Mössbauer team at the University of Mainz has accumulated a lot of experience and learned many lessons during last three years. All that makes MIMOS II a feasible choice for the future missions to Mars and other targets. Currently MIMOS II is on the scientific payload of two missions: Phobos Grunt (Russian Space Agency) and ExoMars (European Space Agency). Phobos Grunt is scheduled to launch in 2009. The main goals of the mission are: a) Phobos regolith sample return, b) Phobos in situ study, c) Mars and Phobos remote sensing. MIMOS II will be installed on the arm of a landing module. Currently, we are manufacturing an engineering model for testing purposes. The ESA "ExoMars" mission involves the development of a MER-like rover with more complex scientific payload (Pasteur exobiology instruments, including a drilling system). Its aim is to further characterise the biological environment in preparation for robotic missions and eventually human exploration. Data from the mission will provide invaluable input to the field of exobiology - the study of the origin, the evolution and distribution of life in the universe. The launch date is scheduled for 2013. Like on MER, the MIMOS II instrument will be mounted on a robotic arm. Advanced and improved version of

Multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive, on-the-spot, functional neuroimaging technique allowing detection of the spatiotemporal characteristics of brain activity. Previous NIRS studies indicated the oxy-hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) increase during a verbal fluency task (VFT) is attenuated in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) as compared with healthy controls. However, the possible relationship between depression symptom severity and oxy-Hb change on NIRS has not yet been elucidated. To examine this relationship, we recruited 30 patients with MDD and 30 age-, gender- and intelligence quotient-matched controls. All underwent NIRS during VFT. As expected, the oxy-Hb increase during the task was significantly smaller in patients than in controls. After false discovery rate correction using 31 channels, the mean increase in oxy-Hb during the task showed a significant negative correlation with the total score of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression 21-item version (ch25: rho = -.56; FDR-corrected p: .001). When each item of the HAM-D21 was examined individually, insomnia early in 9 channels (rho = -.63 to -.46; FDR corrected p: .000-.014), work and activity in 2 channels (rho = -.61 to -.57; FDR corrected p: .001 to .003) and psychomotor retardation in 12 channels (rho = -.70 to -.44; FDR corrected p: .000-.018) showed significant negative correlations with the mean oxy-Hb increase in the right frontal temporal region. Although it is possible that our results were affected by medication, these data suggest reduced right frontal temporal activation on NIRS during VFT is related to the symptom severity of MDD. PMID:22572569

This paper presents the concept, control strategy, and simulations of suppressing the thruster-firing-induced vibration of satellites. First, a satellite vibration reduction concept of utilizing the UHM multifunctional platform is discussed, and the structural configurations of the platform as well as the combination of the platform and a satellite are described. A satellite-like frame with the platform is analyzed, and the predominant modes of the frame are determined. A MIMO adaptive control scheme is then developed to suppress the frame vibration, and a convergence factor vector concept is introduced to ease the multi-channel convergence rate control. This controller is adjusted based on the vibration information of the frame and drives the platform to isolate the vibration transmission from the firing thruster to the satellite structure. The entire system has ten actuators: four piezoelectric stack actuators and six piezoelectric patch actuators. Eleven vibration components of the frame and platform are controlled. Nine components are in the frame for the satellite vibration suppression, and two are in the top-device plate of the platform for the thruster vibration suppression. Finally, simulations are performed to suppress the vibration of the frame for three platform positions to simulate the misalignment correction of the satellite thrust vector. The results demonstrate that the entire frame vibration at its dominant frequency decreases to 7-10% of its uncontrolled value in the three platform positions, and the thruster vibration decreases to 7.5% of its uncontrolled value.

Background. Neural therapy and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are part of complementary and alternative medicine in western world. Both of them share characteristics in diagnosis and therapeutics in search of changes in tenderness, pain, and skin stiffness related to visceral disease, as well as therapeutic procedures with specific stimuli on the skin that generate local, segmental, or remote reactions. Head zones explain segmental viscerocutaneous relations in neural therapy; however, interference fields and remote reactions after infiltration of local anesthetic go beyond this segmental distribution. Methods. This descriptive research required review and analysis of texts of Henry Head and traditional Chinese medicine. Results. Anatomical and functional relationships were found between Head zones in body, and head and neck with 14 acupuncture channels and their points. Anatomical areas of strong correlations were found: Head zones of heart and lung with heart and pericardium channels; Head zones of genitals with bladder and kidney channels. Strong functional relations between all Head zones, channels, and acupoints were found when following the pattern of segmental dermatomes; 235 acupuncture points were found in concordance. PMID:25506384

We numerically report on the complexity reduction of digital backward propagation (DBP) by utilizing correlative encoded transmission (dual-polarization quadrature duobinary) at a bit-rate of 112Gbit/s over 1640km fiber link. The single channel (N=1) and multi-channel (N=10) transmission performances are compared in this paper. In case of multi-channel system, 10 transmitters are multiplexed with 25GHz channel spacing. The fiber link consists of Large A(eff) Pure-Silica core fiber with 20 spans of 82km each. No in-line optical dispersion compensator is employed in the link. The system performances are evaluated by monitoring the bit-error-ratio and the forward error correction limit corresponds to bit-error-ratio of 3.8×10(-3). The DBP algorithm is implemented after the coherent detection and is based on the logarithmic step-size based split-step Fourier method. The results depict that dual-polarization quadrature duobinary can be used to transmit 112Gbit/s signals with an spectral efficiency of 4-b/s/Hz, but at the same time has a higher tolerance to nonlinear transmission impairments. By utilizing dual-polarization quadrature duobinary modulation, comparative system performance with respect to dual-polarization 16-quadrature amplitude modulation transmission can be achieved with 60% less computations and with a step-size of 205km. PMID:23388970

Near range microwave imaging systems have broad application prospects in the field of concealed weapon detection, biomedical imaging, nondestructive testing, etc. In this paper, the techniques of MIMO and sparse line array are applied to near range microwave imaging, which can greatly reduce the complexity of imaging systems. In detail, the paper establishes two-dimensional near range MIMO imaging geometry and corresponding echo model, where the imaging geometry is formed by arranging sparse antenna array in azimuth direction and transmitting broadband signals in range direction; then, by analyzing the relationship between MIMO and convolution principle, the paper develops a method of arranging sparse line array which can be equivalent to a full array; and the paper deduces the backprojection algorithm applied to near ranging MIMO imaging geometry; finally, the imaging geometry and corresponding imaging algorithm proposed in this paper are investigated and verified by means of theoretical analysis and numerical simulations.

Cooperative communication in wireless sensor network (WSN) explores the energy efficient wireless communication schemes between multiple sensors and data gathering node (DGN) by exploiting multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and multiple input single output (MISO) configurations. In this paper, an energy efficient cooperative MIMO (C-MIMO) technique is proposed where low density parity check (LDPC) code is used as an error correcting code. The rate of LDPC code is varied by varying the length of message and parity bits. Simulation results show that the cooperative communication scheme outperforms SISO scheme in the presence of LDPC code. LDPC codes with different code rates are compared using bit error rate (BER) analysis. BER is also analyzed under different Nakagami fading scenario. Energy efficiencies are compared for different targeted probability of bit error pb. It is observed that C-MIMO performs more efficiently when the targeted pb is smaller. Also the lower encoding rate for LDPC code offers better error characteristics. PMID:22163732

This paper addresses multi-input multi-output (MIMO) communications over sparse acoustic channels suffering from frequency modulations. An extension of the recently introduced SLIM algorithm, which stands for sparse learning via iterative minimization, is presented to estimate the sparse and frequency modulated acoustic channels. The extended algorithm is referred to as generalization of SLIM (GoSLIM). The sparseness is exploited through a hierarchical Bayesian model, and because GoSLIM is user parameter free, it is easy to use in practical applications. Moreover this paper considers channel equalization and symbol detection for various MIMO transmission schemes, including both space-time block coding and spatial multiplexing, under the challenging channel conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed approaches is demonstrated using in-water experimental measurements recently acquired during WHOI09 and ACOMM10 experiments. PMID:21786895

KV10.1 potassium channels are implicated in a variety of cellular processes including cell proliferation and tumour progression. Their expression in over 70% of human tumours makes them an attractive diagnostic and therapeutic target. Although their physiological role in the central nervous system is not yet fully understood, advances in their precise cell localization will contribute to the understanding of their interactions and function. We have determined the plasma membrane (PM) distribution of the KV10.1 protein in an enriched mouse brain PM fraction and its association with cholesterol- and sphingolipid-rich domains. We show that the KV10.1 channel has two different populations in a 3:2 ratio, one associated to and another excluded from Detergent Resistant Membranes (DRMs). This distribution of KV10.1 in isolated PM is cholesterol- and cytoskeleton-dependent since alteration of those factors changes the relationship to 1:4. In transfected HEK-293 cells with a mutant unable to bind Ca(2+)/CaM to KV10.1 protein, Kv10.1 distribution in DRM/non-DRM is 1:4. Mean current density was doubled in the cholesterol-depleted cells, without any noticeable effects on other parameters. These results demonstrate that recruitment of the KV10.1 channel to the DRM fractions involves its functional regulation. PMID:24269539

In recent years, multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) radar has attracted much attention of many researchers and institutions. MIMO radar transmits multiple signals, and receives the backscattered signals reflected from the targets. In contrast with conventional phased array radar and SAR system, MIMO radar system has significant potential advantages for achieving higher system SNR, more accurate parameter estimation, or high resolution of radar image. In this paper, we propose a new MIMO SAR system based on Alamouti space-time coding scheme and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing linearly frequency modulated (OFDM-LFM) for obtaining higher system signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and better range resolution of SAR image.

Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) techniques can be used to increase the data rate for a given bit error rate (BER) and transmission power. Due to the small form factor, energy and processing constraints of wireless sensor nodes, a cooperative Virtual MIMO as opposed to True MIMO system architecture is considered more feasible for wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. Virtual MIMO with Vertical-Bell Labs Layered Space-Time (V-BLAST) multiplexing architecture has been recently established to enhance WSN performance. In this paper, we further investigate the impact of different modulation techniques, and analyze for the first time, the performance of a cooperative Virtual MIMO system based on V-BLAST architecture with multi-carrier modulation techniques. Through analytical models and simulations using real hardware and environment settings, both communication and processing energy consumptions, BER, spectral efficiency, and total time delay of multiple cooperative nodes each with single antenna are evaluated. The results show that cooperative Virtual-MIMO with Binary Phase Shift Keying-Wavelet based Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (BPSK-WOFDM) modulation is a promising solution for future high data-rate and energy-efficient WSNs. PMID:23760087

The optical fiber is well adapted to pass multiple wireless signals having different carrier frequencies by using radio-over-fiber (ROF) technique. However, multiple wireless signals which have the same carrier frequency cannot propagate over a single optical fiber, such as wireless multi-input multi-output (MIMO) signals feeding multiple antennas in the fiber wireless (FiWi) system. A novel optical frequency upconversion (OFU) technique is proposed to solve this problem. In this paper, the novel OFU approach is used to transmit three wireless MIMO signals over a 20 km standard single mode fiber (SMF). The OFU technique exploits one optical source to produce multiple wavelengths by delivering it to a LiNbO3 external optical modulator. The wireless MIMO signals are then modulated by LiNbO3 optical intensity modulators separately using the generated optical carriers from the OFU process. These modulators use the optical single-sideband with carrier (OSSB+C) modulation scheme to optimize the system performance against the fiber dispersion effect. Each wireless MIMO signal is with a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz carrier frequency, 1 Gb/s data rate, and 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). The crosstalk between the wireless MIMO signals is highly suppressed, since each wireless MIMO signal is carried on a specific optical wavelength. PMID:24772009

In this paper, we propose MIMO OFDM radar with sufficient cyclic prefix (CP), where all OFDM pulses transmitted from different transmitters share the same frequency band and are orthogonal to each other for every subcarrier in the discrete frequency domain. The orthogonality is not affected by time delays from transmitters. Thus, our proposed MIMO OFDM radar has the same range resolution as single transmitter radar and achieves full spatial diversity. Orthogonal designs are used to achieve this orthogonality across the transmitters, with which it is only needed to design OFDM pulses for the first transmitter. We also propose a joint pulse compression and pulse coherent integration for range reconstruction. In order to achieve the optimal SNR for the range reconstruction, we apply the paraunitary filterbank theory to design the OFDM pulses. We then propose a modified iterative clipping and filtering (MICF) algorithm for the designs of OFDM pulses jointly, when other important factors, such as peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) in time domain, are also considered. With our proposed MIMO OFDM radar, there is no interference for the range reconstruction not only across the transmitters but also across the range cells in a swath called inter-range-cell interference (IRCI) free that is similar to our previously proposed CP based OFDM radar for single transmitter. Simulations are presented to illustrate our proposed theory and show that the CP based MIMO OFDM radar outperforms the existing frequency-band shared MIMO radar with polyphase codes and also frequency division MIMO radar.

In this paper, we propose a cyclic prefix (CP) based MIMO-OFDM range reconstruction method and its corresponding MIMO-OFDM waveform design for co-located MIMO radar systems. Our proposed MIMO-OFDM waveform design achieves the maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain after the range reconstruction and its peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) in the discrete time domain is also optimal, i.e., 0dB, when Zadoff-Chu sequences are used in the discrete frequency domain as the weighting coefficients for the subcarriers. We also investigate the performance when there are transmit and receive digital beamforming (DBF) pointing errors. It is shown that our proposed CP based MIMO-OFDM range reconstruction is inter-range-cell interference (IRCI) free no matter whether there are transmit and receive DBF pointing errors or not. Simulation results are presented to verify the theory and compare it with the conventional OFDM and LFM co-located MIMO radars.

Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) techniques can be used to increase the data rate for a given bit error rate (BER) and transmission power. Due to the small form factor, energy and processing constraints of wireless sensor nodes, a cooperative Virtual MIMO as opposed to True MIMO system architecture is considered more feasible for wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. Virtual MIMO with Vertical-Bell Labs Layered Space-Time (V-BLAST) multiplexing architecture has been recently established to enhance WSN performance. In this paper, we further investigate the impact of different modulation techniques, and analyze for the first time, the performance of a cooperative Virtual MIMO system based on V-BLAST architecture with multi-carrier modulation techniques. Through analytical models and simulations using real hardware and environment settings, both communication and processing energy consumptions, BER, spectral efficiency, and total time delay of multiple cooperative nodes each with single antenna are evaluated. The results show that cooperative Virtual-MIMO with Binary Phase Shift Keying-Wavelet based Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (BPSK-WOFDM) modulation is a promising solution for future high data-rate and energy-efficient WSNs. PMID:23760087

The need for achieving higher data rates in underwater acoustic communications leverages the use of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) schemes. In this paper two key issues regarding the design of a MIMO communications system, namely, channel estimation and symbol detection, are addressed. To enhance channel estimation performance, a cyclic approach for designing training sequences and a channel estimation algorithm called the iterative adaptive approach (IAA) are presented. Sparse channel estimates can be obtained by combining IAA with the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Moreover, the RELAX algorithm can be used to improve the IAA with BIC estimates further. Regarding symbol detection, a minimum mean-squared error based detection scheme, called RELAX-BLAST, which is a combination of vertical Bell Labs layered space-time (V-BLAST) algorithm and the cyclic principle of the RELAX algorithm, is presented and it is shown that RELAX-BLAST outperforms V-BLAST. Both simulated and experimental results are provided to validate the proposed MIMO scheme. RACE'08 experimental results employing a 4 x 24 MIMO system show that the proposed scheme enjoys an average uncoded bit error rate of 0.38% at a payload data rate of 31.25 kbps and an average coded bit error rate of 0% at a payload data rate of 15.63 kbps. PMID:19425650

For the advanced Moessbauer instrument MIMOS IIA, the new detector technologies and electronic components increase sensitivity and performance significantly. In combination with the high energy resolution of the SDD it is possible to perform X-ray fluorescence analysis simultaneously to Moessbauer spectroscopy. In addition to the Fe-mineralogy, information on the sample's elemental composition will be gathered. The ISRU 2010 field campaign demonstrated that in-situ Moessbauer spectroscopy is an effective tool for both science and feedstock exploration and process monitoring. Engineering tests showed that a compact nickel metal hydride battery provided sufficient power for over 12 hr of continuous operation for the MIMOS instruments.

Geologic dating permits one-for-one correlation between coseismic subsidence in coastal Washington and turbidity currents in Cascadia deep-sea channel in the past 4000 years. The correlations make sense if plate-boundary rupture off the Washington coast accounts for the coastal subsidence. Such rupture would radiate seismic shaking directly beneath the submarine canyonheads that feed turbidity currents to Cascadia channel. The correlation strengthens the basis for using the turbidites as proxy records of great Cascadia earthquakes in the early Holocene, beyond the typical reach of the region's coastal subsidence records. For the past 4000 years in southwest Washington, the estuarine record of coseismic subsidence contains eight events at irregular intervals. The record can be seen at low tide as buried marsh and forest soils each capped with tidal-flat mud and some also coated with sand from tsunamis or sand blows. Successive soils differ consistently in stratigraphic patterns that provide field criteria for correlating among outcrops and for estimating relative lengths of recurrence intervals. The field correlations have survived chronological tests that include 32 sample ages with one-sigma counting errors less than 20 radiocarbon years. Most of these were measured on inner rings of the roots of earthquake-killed trees, from which the difference between sample age and event age can be counted with annual growth rings. Other materials set limiting ages that constrain event ages less exactly. Event age ranges at >95-percent confidence, in calendric years before AD 1950: 3550-4150 [8 events ago]; 3310-3390 [7]; 2845-2925 [6]; 2420-2620 [5]; 1540-1610 [4]; 1229-1264 [3]; 760-1190 [2]. The most recent event [1] dates from AD 1680-1720 (radiocarbon), 1699-1700 (ring-width patterns), and January 27, 1700 (Japanese documents). Well-defined intervals between successive events range from a few centuries [4 to 3] to a millennium [5 to 4]. One interval [7 to 6] approximates

A miniature telemetric system is described which allows simultaneous measurements of neural activity and vocalization in freely moving monkeys within their social group. Single and multi-unit activities were detected with medium impedance electrodes that were fixed to self-made microdrives allowing accurate vertical positioning over a range of 8 mm. Vocalizations were registered by means of a piezo-ceramic device sensing the vocalization-induced skull vibrations. This allowed identification of the vocalizing animal in a larger group and eliminated environmental noise. Neuronal activity and vocalization were transmitted via separate channels of a FM transmitter using different carrier frequencies. The signals were decoded in two conventional FM receivers equipped with an automatic frequency control. The signals were stored for off-line analysis on a HiFi videotape recorder. PMID:9334933

Microtubule nanotubes are found in every living eukaryotic cells; these are formed by reversible polymerization of the tubulin protein, and their hollow fibers are filled with uniquely arranged water molecules. Here we measure single tubulin molecule and single brain-neuron extracted microtubule nanowire with and without water channel inside to unravel their unique electronic and optical properties for the first time. We demonstrate that the energy levels of a single tubulin protein and single microtubule made of 40,000 tubulin dimers are identical unlike conventional materials. Moreover, the transmitted ac power and the transient fluorescence decay (single photon count) are independent of the microtubule length. Even more remarkable is the fact that the microtubule nanowire is more conducting than a single protein molecule that constitutes the nanowire. Microtubule's vibrational peaks condense to a single mode that controls the emergence of size independent electronic/optical properties, and automated noise alleviation, which disappear when the atomic water core is released from the inner cylinder. We have carried out several tricky state-of-the-art experiments and identified the electromagnetic resonance peaks of single microtubule reliably. The resonant vibrations established that the condensation of energy levels and periodic oscillation of unique energy fringes on the microtubule surface, emerge as the atomic water core resonantly integrates all proteins around it such that the nanotube irrespective of its size functions like a single protein molecule. Thus, a monomolecular water channel residing inside the protein-cylinder displays an unprecedented control in governing the tantalizing electronic and optical properties of microtubule. PMID:23567633

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar systems have been shown to have significant performance improvements over their single-input multiple-output (SIMO) counterparts. For transmit and receive elements that are collocated, the waveform diversity afforded by this radar is exploited for performance improvements. These improvements include but are not limited to improved target detection, improved parameter identifiability and better resolvability. In this paper, we present the Synchronous Impulse Reconstruction Radar (SIRE) Ultra-wideband (UWB) radar designed by the Army Research Lab (ARL) for landmine and improvised explosive device (IED) detection as a 2 by 16 MIMO radar (with collocated antennas). Its improvement over its SIMO counterpart in terms of beampattern/cross range resolution are discussed and demonstrated using simulated data herein. The limitations of this radar for Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) suppression are also discussed in this paper. A relaxation method (RELAX) combined with averaging of multiple realizations of the measured data is presented for RFI suppression; results show no noticeable target signature distortion after suppression. In this paper, the back-projection (delay and sum) data independent method is used for generating SAR images. A side-lobe minimization technique called recursive side-lobe minimization (RSM) is also discussed for reducing side-lobes in this data independent approach. We introduce a data-dependent sparsity based spectral estimation technique called Sparse Learning via Iterative Minimization (SLIM) as well as a data-dependent CLEAN approach for generating SAR images for the SIRE radar. These data-adaptive techniques show improvement in side-lobe reduction and resolution for simulated data for the SIRE radar.

The oscillations of poloidal plasma flows induced by radially sheared zonal flows are investigated by newly developed correlation Doppler reflectometers in the HL-2A tokamak. The non-disturbing diagnostic allows one to routinely measure the rotation velocity of turbulence, and hence the radial electric field fluctuations. With correlation Doppler reflectometers, a three-dimensional spatial structure of geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) is surveyed, including the symmetric feature of poloidal and toroidal Er fluctuations, the dependence of GAM frequency on radial temperature and the radial propagation of GAMs. The co-existence of low-frequency zonal flow and GAM is presented. The temporal behaviors of GAM during ramp-up experiments of plasma current and electron density are studied, which reveal the underlying damping mechanisms for the GAM oscillation level.

Background Voltage-gated sodium channels Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 are expressed preferentially in small diameter sensory neurons, and are thought to play a role in the generation of ectopic activity in neuronal cell bodies and/or their axons following peripheral nerve injury. The expression of Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 has been quantified in human lingual nerves that have been previously injured inadvertently during lower third molar removal, and any correlation between the expression of these ion channels and the presence or absence of dysaesthesia investigated. Results Immunohistochemical processing and quantitative image analysis revealed that Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 were expressed in human lingual nerve neuromas from patients with or without symptoms of dysaesthesia. The level of Nav1.8 expression was significantly higher in patients reporting pain compared with no pain, and a significant positive correlation was observed between levels of Nav1.8 expression and VAS scores for the symptom of tingling. No significant differences were recorded in the level of expression of Nav1.9 between patients with or without pain. Conclusions These results demonstrate that Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 are present in human lingual nerve neuromas, with significant correlations between the level of expression of Nav1.8 and symptoms of pain. These data provide further evidence that changes in expression of Nav1.8 are important in the development and/or maintenance of nerve injury-induced pain, and suggest that Nav1.8 may be a potential therapeutic target. PMID:24144460

Commercial purity Al was severely deformed by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) up to eight passes using route B{sub C}. The deformation microstructure was characterized quantitatively by electron-backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The microstructural homogeneity was investigated by EBSD at various locations from center to surface of the samples on a longitudinal section parallel to the pressing direction. Structural parameters including mean boundary spacing, boundary misorientation angle and fraction of high angle grain boundaries were measured and characterized through the section of the ECAP samples. EBSD scans revealed a homogeneous ultrafine grained microstructure after 8 passes. The analysis showed that the fraction of high angle grain boundaries was more than 70% at most locations of the sample section. Also, an average boundary spacing of 380 nm was obtained by the linear intercept method. TEM analysis was used for more detailed characterization of the microstructure, such as low angle boundaries with misorientation angles smaller than 2 deg. Using the structural parameters-flow stress relationship, the flow stress was estimated based on the EBSD and TEM/Kikuchi-line analyses and compared with measured values.

The effects of ion-ion and ion-wall correlations in nanochannels are explored, specifically how they influence voltage- and pressure-driven currents and pressure-to-voltage energy conversion. Cations of different diameters (0.15, 0.3, and 0.9 nm) and different valences (+1, +2, and +3) at concentrations ranging from 10–6 M to 1 M are considered in 50 nm- and 100 nm-wide nanoslits with wall surface charges ranging from 0 C/m2 to –0.3 C/m2. These parameters are typical of nanofluidic devices. Ion correlations have significant effects on device properties over large parts of this parameter space. These effects are the result of ion layering (oscillatory concentration profiles) for large monovalent cations and charge inversion (more cations in the first layer near the wall than necessary to neutralize the surface charge) for the multivalent cations. The ions were modeled as charged, hard spheres using density functional theory of fluids and current was computed with the Navier-Stokes equations with two different no-slip conditions. PMID:23286510

With wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) rapidly nearing its scalability limits, space-division multiplexing (SDM) seems the only option to further scale the capacity of optical transport networks. In order for SDM systems to continue the WDM trend of reducing energy and cost per bit with system capacity, integration will be key to SDM. Since integration is likely to introduce non-negligible crosstalk between multiple parallel transmission paths, multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) signal processing techniques will have to be used. In this paper, we discuss MIMO capacities in optical SDM systems, including related outage considerations which are an important part in the design of such systems. In order to achieve the low-outage standards required for optical transport networks, SDM transponders should be capable of individually addressing, and preferably MIMO processing all modes supported by the optical SDM waveguide. We then discuss the effect of distributed optical noise in MIMO SDM systems and focus on the impact of mode-dependent loss (MDL) on system capacity and system outage. Through extensive numerical simulations, we extract scaling rules for mode-average and mode-dependent loss and show that MIMO SDM systems composed of up to 128 segments and supporting up to 128 modes can tolerate up to 1 dB of per-segment MDL at 90% of the system's full capacity at an outage probability of 10(-4). PMID:21935030

Cancerous transformation may be dependent on correlation between electrical disruptions in the cell membrane and mechanical disruptions of cytoskeleton structures. Silicon nanotube (SiNT)-based electrical probes, as ultra-accurate signal recorders with subcellular resolution, may create many opportunities for fundamental biological research and biomedical applications. Here, we used this technology to electrically monitor cellular mechanosensing. The SiNT probe was combined with an electrically activated glass micropipette aspiration system to achieve a new cancer diagnostic technique that is based on real-time correlation between mechanical and electrical behaviour of single cells. Our studies demonstrated marked changes in the electrical response following increases in the mechanical aspiration force in healthy cells. In contrast, such responses were extremely weak for malignant cells. Confocal microscopy results showed the impact of actin microfilament remodelling on the reduction of the electrical response for aspirated cancer cells due to the significant role of actin in modulating the ion channel activity in the cell membrane.Cancerous transformation may be dependent on correlation between electrical disruptions in the cell membrane and mechanical disruptions of cytoskeleton structures. Silicon nanotube (SiNT)-based electrical probes, as ultra-accurate signal recorders with subcellular resolution, may create many opportunities for fundamental biological research and biomedical applications. Here, we used this technology to electrically monitor cellular mechanosensing. The SiNT probe was combined with an electrically activated glass micropipette aspiration system to achieve a new cancer diagnostic technique that is based on real-time correlation between mechanical and electrical behaviour of single cells. Our studies demonstrated marked changes in the electrical response following increases in the mechanical aspiration force in healthy cells. In contrast, such

During a cruise to Georges Bank in May 1992, the Video Plankton Recorder (VPR) was towyoed while non-invasively obtaining images of the plankton and environmental (CTD) data. Data from an 8 h transect across the Great South Channel (GSC) were analyzed on a continuum of spatial scales from coarse-scale (100 km) to micro-scale (mm). Abundance was determined for 12 taxonomic groups including: invertebrate larvae (ophiopluteus larvae, anthozoa larvae: Cerianthus sp.), hydroids, copepods ( Calanus sp., Pseudocalanus sp.), pteropods ( Limacina retroversa, Clione sp.), ctenophores ( Mnemiopsis sp., Pleurobrachia sp.), larvacea ( Oikopleura sp.), chaetognatha ( Sagitta sp.), and diatom colonies ( Chaetoceros socialis). Species-specific plots of the positions of individual plankton in the water column and plots of the temperature and salinity at which the plankton were observed (temperature-salinity-plankton plots) showed that major taxonomic groups were patchy at coarse scales because of their association with specific water masses of different origin and associated temperature/density discontinuities (pycnocline and fronts). Analysis of the T- S characteristics of water types indicated that diatom colonies and ophiopluteus larvae of echinoderms were transported to GSC in a band of cold water originating on the south flank of Georges Bank. Within this band, diatom colonies formed an intense patch at a front reaching a density of 5 ml -1. Within each water mass, fine-scale (10s of meters) plankton patchiness was associated with regions of vertical stability as indicated by the association of plankton with regions of high gradient Richardson number. Aggregation of plankton at the microscale (<1 m) occurred significantly only for plankton capable of active swimming, suggesting a dynamic interaction between biological and physical variables at this spatial scale. On occasion, veliger larvae of Limacina retroversa were found in spawning patches at concentrations exceeding 600

An indirect adaptive controller is developed for a class of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) nonlinear systems with unknown uncertainties. This control system is comprised of an L 1 adaptive controller and an auxiliary neural network (NN) compensation controller. The L 1 adaptive controller has guaranteed transient response in addition to stable tracking. In this architecture, a low-pass filter is adopted to guarantee fast adaptive rate without generating high-frequency oscillations in control signals. The auxiliary compensation controller is designed to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions by MIMO RBF neural networks to suppress the influence of uncertainties. NN weights are tuned on-line with no prior training and the project operator ensures the weights bounded. The global stability of the closed-system is derived based on the Lyapunov function. Numerical simulations of an MIMO system coupled with nonlinear uncertainties are used to illustrate the practical potential of our theoretical results. PMID:25147871

We have examined the distribution of the sensory neuron-specific Na+ channel Nav1.8 (SNS/PN3) in nociceptive and non-nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and whether its distribution is related to neuronal membrane properties. Nav1.8-like immunoreactivity (Nav1.8-LI) was examined with an affinity purified polyclonal antiserum (SNS11) in rat DRG neurons that were classified according to sensory receptive properties and by conduction velocity (CV) as C-, Aδ- or Aα/β. A significantly higher proportion of nociceptive than low threshold mechanoreceptive (LTM) neurons showed Nav1.8-LI, and nociceptive neurons had significantly more intense immunoreactivity in their somata than LTM neurons. Results showed that 89, 93 and 60 % of C-, Aδ- and Aα/β-fibre nociceptive units respectively and 88 % of C-unresponsive units were positive. C-unresponsive units had electrical membrane properties similar to C-nociceptors and were considered to be nociceptive-type neurons. Weak positive Nav1.8-LI was also present in some LTM units including a C LTM, all Aδ LTM units (D hair), about 10 % of cutaneous LTM Aα/β-units, but no muscle spindle afferent units. Nav1.8-LI intensity was negatively correlated with soma size (all neurons) and with dorsal root CVs in A- but not C-fibre neurons. Nav1.8-LI intensity was positively correlated with action potential (AP) duration (both rise and fall time) in A-fibre neurons and with AP rise time only in positive C-fibre neurons. It was also positively correlated with AP overshoot in positive neurons. Thus high levels of Nav1.8 protein may contribute to the longer AP durations (especially in A-fibre neurons) and larger AP overshoots that are typical of nociceptors. PMID:12794175

In this paper, variable structure control of a bioreactor is studied. The process has two state variables named cell mass and nutrient amount, and two control inputs to maintain the state variables at their desired levels. Although the state space representation of the system seems simple, the system displays several challenges that make it necessary to develop a good flowrate (control) management strategy. Due to the plant-model mismatch, variable structure control technique is applied and it is seen that the sliding subspace is reached in finite time and the behavior thereafter is insensitive to considerable degrees of variation in the parameters and disturbances. The design is based on the nominal model and a comparison with a feedback linearizing controller is presented. The objective of the paper is to illustrate the efficacy of MIMO sliding mode control on a benchmark problem. Overall, the results with the proposed controller demonstrate the following desirable characteristics: (i) very good tracking precision (ii) small percent overshoot values and (iii) good decoupling of the process states. PMID:17521653

This paper proposes and demonstrates a low complexity multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) equalization digital signal processing (DSP) method for the few mode multi-core (FMMC) fiber optical transmission system. The MIMO equalization algorithm offers adaptive equalization taps according to the degree of crosstalk in cores or modes, which eliminates the interference among different modes and cores in space division multiplexing (SDM) transmission system. Compared with traditional MIMO method, the proposed scheme has increased the convergence rate by 4 times and reduced the number of finite impulse response (FIR) filters by 55% when the numbers of mode and core are three.

Cooperative communication in wireless sensor network (WSN) explores the energy efficient wireless communication schemes between multiple sensors and data gathering node (DGN) by exploiting multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and multiple input single output (MISO) configurations. In this paper, an energy efficient cooperative MIMO (C-MIMO) technique is proposed where low density parity check (LDPC) code is used as an error correcting code. The rate of LDPC code is varied by varying the length of message and parity bits. Simulation results show that the cooperative communication scheme outperforms SISO scheme in the presence of LDPC code. LDPC codes with different code rates are compared using bit error rate (BER) analysis. BER is also analyzed under different Nakagami fading scenario. Energy efficiencies are compared for different targeted probability of bit error p(b). It is observed that C-MIMO performs more efficiently when the targeted p(b) is smaller. Also the lower encoding rate for LDPC code offers better error characteristics. PMID:22163732

This paper describes a novel architecture for enabling robust and efficient neuromorphic communication. The architecture combines two concepts: 1) synaptic time multiplexing (STM) that trades space for speed of processing to create an intragroup communication approach that is firing rate independent and offers more flexibility in connectivity than cross-bar architectures and 2) a wired multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) techniques to enable a robust and efficient intergroup communication for neuromorphic systems. The MIMO-OFDM concept for the proposed architecture was analyzed by simulating large-scale spiking neural network architecture. Analysis shows that the neuromorphic system with MIMO-OFDM exhibits robust and efficient communication while operating in real time with a high bit rate. Through combining STM with MIMO-OFDM techniques, the resulting system offers a flexible and scalable connectivity as well as a power and area efficient solution for the implementation of very large-scale spiking neural architectures in hardware. PMID:24807453

Mode-division multiplexing (MDM) transmission over few-mode optical fiber has emerged as a promising technology to enhance transmission capacity, in which multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) digital signal processing (DSP) after coherent detection is used to demultiplex the signals. Compared with conventional single-mode systems, MIMO-MDM systems suffer non-recoverable signal degradation induced by mode-dependent loss (MDL). In this paper, the MDL-induced signal degradation in orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing (OFDM) MDM systems is theoretically quantified in terms of mode-average error vector magnitude (EVM) through frequency domain norm analysis. A novel scalar MDL metric is proposed considering the probability distribution of the practical MDM input signals, and a closed-form expression for EVM measured after zero-force (ZF) MIMO equalization is derived. Simulation results show that the EVM estimations utilizing the novel MDL metric remain unbiased for unrepeated links. For a 6 × 100 km 20-mode MDM transmission system, the estimation accuracy is improved by more than 90% compared with that utilizing traditional condition number (CN) based MDL metric. The proposed MDL metric can be used to predict the MDL-induced SNR penalty in a theoretical manner, which will be beneficial for the design of practical MIMO-MDM systems. PMID:27557176

The transmit array of multi-overlapped-transmit-subarray configured bistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MOTS MIMO) radar is partitioned into a number of overlapped subarrays, which is different from the traditional bistatic MIMO radar. In this paper, a new unitary ESPRIT scheme for joint estimation of the direction of departure (DOD) and the direction of arrival (DOA) for MOTS MIMO radar is proposed. In our method, each overlapped-transmit-subarray (OTS) with the identical effective aperture is regarded as a transmit element and the characteristics that the phase delays between the two OTSs is utilized. First, the measurements corresponding to all the OTSs are partitioned into two groups which have a rotational invariance relationship with each other. Then, the properties of centro-Hermitian matrices and real-valued rotational invariance factors are exploited to double the measurement samples and reduce computational complexity. Finally, the close-formed solution of automatically paired DOAs and DODs of targets is derived in a new manner. The proposed scheme provides increased estimation accuracy with the combination of inherent advantages of MOTS MIMO radar with unitary ESPRIT. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed scheme. PMID:25106023

The transmit array of multi-overlapped-transmit-subarray configured bistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MOTS MIMO) radar is partitioned into a number of overlapped subarrays, which is different from the traditional bistatic MIMO radar. In this paper, a new unitary ESPRIT scheme for joint estimation of the direction of departure (DOD) and the direction of arrival (DOA) for MOTS MIMO radar is proposed. In our method, each overlapped-transmit-subarray (OTS) with the identical effective aperture is regarded as a transmit element and the characteristics that the phase delays between the two OTSs is utilized. First, the measurements corresponding to all the OTSs are partitioned into two groups which have a rotational invariance relationship with each other. Then, the properties of centro-Hermitian matrices and real-valued rotational invariance factors are exploited to double the measurement samples and reduce computational complexity. Finally, the close-formed solution of automatically paired DOAs and DODs of targets is derived in a new manner. The proposed scheme provides increased estimation accuracy with the combination of inherent advantages of MOTS MIMO radar with unitary ESPRIT. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed scheme. PMID:25106023

This paper will address the analysis and design of an electronically scanned phased array laser radar (ladar) system utilizing the techniques of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) array design. MIMO radar is has attracted much attention recently from both researchers and practitioners alike due to its significant potential for advancing the state-of-the-art RF radar technology. The laser radar architecture presented stands to gain significant inroads on the ability to apply RF array processing methods to laser radar systems in several ways. Specifically, using MIMO array design concepts, it is shown that the resolution of the ladar array can substantially exceed the diffraction limited resolution of a conventional array. Additionally, the use of array methods provides the capability to electronically steer the aperture, thus avoiding the mechanical beam scanning methods generally encountered in laser radar systems. Finally, by using an array of radiators, an increase in total radiated power is achieved, relieving the power burden on a single laser. The problems traditionally encountered in applying conventional array techniques to laser/detector arrays, for example, the inability to achieve half-wavelength spacing or the surfacing of source coherence issues, actually work to one's advantage when viewed in the MIMO paradigm. It is anticipated that the successful implementation of this system will significantly advance the state-of-the-art of laser radar capabilities for high speed imaging, target detection, tracking, and signature analysis.

In this paper, the feasibility of space division multiplexing for optical wireless fronthaul systems is experimentally demonstrated by implementing high speed MIMO-OFDM/OQAM radio signals over 20km 7-core fiber and 0.4m wireless link. Moreover, the impact of optical inter-core crosstalk in multicore fibers on the proposed MIMO-OFDM/OQAM radio over fiber system is experimentally evaluated in both SISO and MIMO configurations for comparison. The experimental results show that the inter-core crosstalk tolerance of the proposed radio over fiber system can be relaxed to -10 dB by using the proposed MIMO-OFDM/OQAM processing. These results could guide high density multicore fiber design to support a large number of antenna modules and a higher density of radio-access points for potential applications in 5G cellular system. PMID:27410359

We present a new method for computing optimized channels for estimation tasks that is feasible for high-dimensional image data. Maximum-likelihood (ML) parameter estimates are challenging to compute from high-dimensional likelihoods. The dimensionality reduction from M measurements to L channels is a critical advantage of channelized quadratic estimators (CQEs), since estimating likelihood moments from channelized data requires smaller sample sizes and inverting a smaller covariance matrix is easier. The channelized likelihood is then used to form ML estimates of the parameter(s). In this work we choose an imaging example in which the second-order statistics of the image data depend upon the parameter of interest: the correlation length. Correlation lengths are used to approximate background textures in many imaging applications, and in these cases an estimate of the correlation length is useful for pre-whitening. In a simulation study we compare the estimation performance, as measured by the root-mean-squared error (RMSE), of correlation length estimates from CQE and power spectral density (PSD) distribution fitting. To abide by the assumptions of the PSD method we simulate an ergodic, isotropic, stationary, and zero-mean random process. These assumptions are not part of the CQE formalism. The CQE method assumes a Gaussian channelized likelihood that can be a valid for non-Gaussian image data, since the channel outputs are formed from weighted sums of the image elements. We have shown that, for three or more channels, the RMSE of CQE estimates of correlation length is lower than conventional PSD estimates. We also show that computing CQE by using a standard nonlinear optimization method produces channels that yield RMSE within 2% of the analytic optimum. CQE estimates of anisotropic correlation length estimation are reported to demonstrate this technique on a two-parameter estimation problem. PMID:27409452

Space division multiplexing in multicore fibers is one of the most promise technologies in order to support transmissions of next-generation peta-to-exaflop-scale supercomputers and mega data centers, owing to advantages in terms of costs and space saving of the new optical fibers with multiple cores. Additionally, multicore fibers allow photonic signal processing in optical communication systems, taking advantage of the mode coupling phenomena. In this work, we numerically have simulated an optical MIMO-OFDM (multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) by using the coded Alamouti to be transmitted through a twin-core fiber with low coupling. Furthermore, an optical OFDM is transmitted through a core of a singlemode fiber, using pilot-aided channel estimation. We compare the transmission performance in the twin-core fiber and in the singlemode fiber taking into account numerical results of the bit-error rate, considering linear propagation, and Gaussian noise through an optical fiber link. We carry out an optical fiber transmission of OFDM frames using 8 PSK and 16 QAM, with bit rates values of 130 Gb/s and 170 Gb/s, respectively. We obtain a penalty around 4 dB for the 8 PSK transmissions, after 100 km of linear fiber optic propagation for both singlemode and twin core fiber. We obtain a penalty around 6 dB for the 16 QAM transmissions, with linear propagation after 100 km of optical fiber. The transmission in a two-core fiber by using Alamouti coded OFDM-MIMO exhibits a better performance, offering a good alternative in the mitigation of fiber impairments, allowing to expand Alamouti coded in multichannel systems spatially multiplexed in multicore fibers.

The goal of the study presented in this paper is to investigate the performance of a new subcarrier allocation strategy for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) multicellular networks which employ Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) architecture. For this reason, a hybrid system-link level simulator has been developed executing independent Monte Carlo (MC) simulations in parallel. Up to two tiers of cells around the central cell are taken into consideration and increased loading per cell. The derived results indicate that this strategy can provide up to 12% capacity gain for 16-QAM modulation and two tiers of cells around the central cell in a symmetric 2 × 2 MIMO configuration. This gain is derived when comparing the proposed strategy to the traditional approach of allocating subcarriers that maximize only the desired user's signal. PMID:24683351

In this paper, a real-valued covariance vector sparsity-inducing method for direction of arrival (DOA) estimation is proposed in monostatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar. Exploiting the special configuration of monostatic MIMO radar, low-dimensional real-valued received data can be obtained by using the reduced-dimensional transformation and unitary transformation technique. Then, based on the Khatri-Rao product, a real-valued sparse representation framework of the covariance vector is formulated to estimate DOA. Compared to the existing sparsity-inducing DOA estimation methods, the proposed method provides better angle estimation performance and lower computational complexity. Simulation results verify the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed method. PMID:26569241

Considering a class of MIMO uncertain nonlinear system, a novel finite time stable control algorithm is proposed based on higher-order sliding mode concept. The higher-order sliding mode control problem of MIMO nonlinear system is firstly transformed into finite time stability problem of multivariable system. Then continuous control law, which can guarantee finite time stabilization of nominal integral chain system, is employed. The second-order sliding mode is used to overcome the system uncertainties. High frequency chattering phenomenon of sliding mode is greatly weakened, and the arbitrarily fast convergence is reached. The finite time stability is proved based on the quadratic form Lyapunov function. Examples concerning the triple integral chain system with uncertainty and the hovercraft trajectory tracking are simulated respectively to verify the effectiveness and the robustness of the proposed algorithm. PMID:25277626

In this paper, a real-valued covariance vector sparsity-inducing method for direction of arrival (DOA) estimation is proposed in monostatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar. Exploiting the special configuration of monostatic MIMO radar, low-dimensional real-valued received data can be obtained by using the reduced-dimensional transformation and unitary transformation technique. Then, based on the Khatri–Rao product, a real-valued sparse representation framework of the covariance vector is formulated to estimate DOA. Compared to the existing sparsity-inducing DOA estimation methods, the proposed method provides better angle estimation performance and lower computational complexity. Simulation results verify the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed method. PMID:26569241

This paper deals with the multipoint Cauer matrix continued-fraction expansion (MCFE) for model reduction of linear multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems with various numbers of inputs and outputs. A salient feature of the proposed MCFE approach to model reduction of MIMO systems with square transfer matrices is its equivalence to the matrix Pade approximation approach. The Cauer second form of the ordinary MCFE for a square transfer function matrix is generalized in this paper to a multipoint and nonsquare-matrix version. An interesting connection of the multipoint Cauer MCFE method to the multipoint matrix Pade approximation method is established. Also, algorithms for obtaining the reduced-degree matrix-fraction descriptions and reduced-dimensional state-space models from a transfer function matrix via the multipoint Cauer MCFE algorithm are presented. Practical advantages of using the multipoint Cauer MCFE are discussed and a numerical example is provided to illustrate the algorithms.

Direction of arrival (DOA) estimation is an important issue for monostatic MIMO radar. A DOA estimation method for monostatic MIMO radar based on unitary root-MUSIC is presented in this article. In the presented method, a reduced-dimension matrix is first utilised to transform the high dimension of received signal data into low dimension one. Then, a low-dimension real-value covariance matrix is obtained by forward-backward (FB) averaging and unitary transformation. The DOA of targets can be achieved by unitary root-MUSIC. Due to the FB averaging of received signal data and the eigendecomposition of the real-valued matrix covariance, the proposed method owns better angle estimation performance and lower computational complexity. The simulation results of the proposed method are presented and the performances are investigated and discussed.

In the multi-input multi-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system, traditional multi-user detection (MUD) algorithms that usually used to suppress multiple access interference are difficult to balance system detection performance and the complexity of the algorithm. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a joint swarm intelligence algorithm called Ant Colony and Particle Swarm Optimisation (AC-PSO) by integrating particle swarm optimisation (PSO) and ant colony optimisation (ACO) algorithms. According to simulation results, it has been shown that, with low computational complexity, the MUD for the MIMO-OFDM system based on AC-PSO algorithm gains comparable MUD performance with maximum likelihood algorithm. Thus, the proposed AC-PSO algorithm provides a satisfactory trade-off between computational complexity and detection performance.

A thorough investigation of the impact of nonzero boresight pointing errors on the ergodic capacity of multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) free-space optical (FSO) systems with equal gain combining (EGC) reception under different turbulence models, which are modeled as statistically independent, but not necessarily identically distributed (i.n.i.d.) is addressed in this paper. Novel closed-form asymptotic expressions at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the ergodic capacity of MIMO FSO systems are derived when different geometric arrangements of the receive apertures at the receiver are considered in order to reduce the effect of nonzero inherent boresight displacement, which is inevitably present when more than one receive aperture is considered. As a result, the asymptotic ergodic capacity of MIMO FSO systems is evaluated over log-normal (LN), gamma-gamma (GG) and exponentiated Weibull (EW) atmospheric turbulence in order to study different turbulence conditions, different sizes of receive apertures as well as different aperture averaging conditions. It is concluded that the use of single-input/multiple-output (SIMO) and MIMO techniques can significantly increase the ergodic capacity respect to the direct path link when the inherent boresight displacement takes small values, i.e. when the spacing among receive apertures is not too big. The effect of nonzero additional boresight errors, which is due to the thermal expansion of the building, is evaluated in multiple-input/single-output (MISO) and single-input/single-output (SISO) FSO systems. Simulation results are further included to confirm the analytical results. PMID:26907009

Next-generation access networks require provision of wireless services and high data rate to meet the huge demands for mobility and multiple services. Moreover, reusing the currently deployed optical distribution networks (ODNs) is highly beneficial and cost effective for providing the new high data rate wireless demands. In this paper, bidirectional radio over fiber passive optical network (RoF-PON) capable of handling multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) streams at low cost, high spectral efficiency and backward compatibility with currently deployed PON, is proposed. To the best of our knowledge, all the existing RoF MIMO solutions have not considered compatibility with currently deployed ODNs. Eight laser diodes (LDs) at the central office (CO) are enough for the whole system, instead of having LD or optical transmitter at each remote antenna unit (RAU), which makes a colorless and cost-effective RAU. Twenty four wavelengths are generated using optical comb technique. Each two 16-QAM MIMO signals that have the same carrier frequency in the downstream (DS) transmission are optically combined using polarization-division-multiplexing (PDM), where each two upstream (US) MIMO signals are time division multiplexed. The PDM configuration doubles spectral efficiency with a power penalty of only 1.5 dB. The proposed architecture is a bidirectional asymmetric RoF-PON with total 40/10 Gb/s for DS/US transmission. Even after transmission over 20 km SMF and splitting ratio of 32, acceptable transmission performance and widely separated constellation diagrams for the 16-QAM signals are achieved, with bit error rate (BER) of 10-6 for DS signals and 10-3 for the US signals which can be reduced down to 10-6 by using forward error correction (FEC).

The problem of optimising the target detection performance of MIMO radar in the presence of clutter is considered. The increased false alarm rate which is a consequence of the presence of clutter returns is known to seriously degrade the target detection performance of the radar target detector, especially under low SNR conditions. In this paper, a mathematical model is proposed to optimise the target detection performance of a MIMO radar detector in the presence of clutter. The number of samples that are required to be processed by a radar target detector regulates the amount of processing burden while achieving a given detection reliability. While Subspace Compressive GLRT (SSC-GLRT) detector is known to give optimised radar target detection performance with reduced computational complexity, it however suffers a significant deterioration in target detection performance in the presence of clutter. In this paper we provide evidence that the proposed mathematical model for SSC-GLRT detector outperforms the existing detectors in the presence of clutter. The performance analysis of the existing detectors and the proposed SSC-GLRT detector for MIMO radar in the presence of clutter are provided in this paper. PMID:26495422

The problem of optimising the target detection performance of MIMO radar in the presence of clutter is considered. The increased false alarm rate which is a consequence of the presence of clutter returns is known to seriously degrade the target detection performance of the radar target detector, especially under low SNR conditions. In this paper, a mathematical model is proposed to optimise the target detection performance of a MIMO radar detector in the presence of clutter. The number of samples that are required to be processed by a radar target detector regulates the amount of processing burden while achieving a given detection reliability. While Subspace Compressive GLRT (SSC-GLRT) detector is known to give optimised radar target detection performance with reduced computational complexity, it however suffers a significant deterioration in target detection performance in the presence of clutter. In this paper we provide evidence that the proposed mathematical model for SSC-GLRT detector outperforms the existing detectors in the presence of clutter. The performance analysis of the existing detectors and the proposed SSC-GLRT detector for MIMO radar in the presence of clutter are provided in this paper. PMID:26495422

This paper proposes a systematic approach for the modeling and control of non-square MIMO systems in time domain using relay feedback. Conventionally, modeling, selection of the control configuration and controller design of non-square MIMO systems are performed using input/output information of direct loop, while the output of undesired responses that bears valuable information on interaction among the loops are not considered. However, in this paper, the undesired response obtained from relay feedback test is also taken into consideration to extract the information about the interaction between the loops. The studies are performed on an Air Path Scheme of Turbocharged Diesel Engine (APSTDE) model, which is a typical non-square MIMO system, with input and output variables being 3 and 2 respectively. From the relay test response, the generalized analytical expressions are derived and these analytical expressions are used to estimate unknown system parameters and also to evaluate interaction measures. The interaction is analyzed by using Block Relative Gain (BRG) method. The model thus identified is later used to design appropriate controller to carry out closed loop studies. Closed loop simulation studies were performed for both servo and regulatory operations. Integral of Squared Error (ISE) performance criterion is employed to quantitatively evaluate performance of the proposed scheme. The usefulness of the proposed method is demonstrated on a lab-scale Two-Tank Cylindrical Interacting System (TTCIS), which is configured as a non-square system. PMID:26453020

For one-polarization mode-division-multiplexed (MDM) system using sparse 2 × 2 MIMO equalizers over twofold spatially degenerate (TSD) LP modes, we numerically investigate the discrete modal crosstalk (XT) behaviors due to splices in weakly coupled few-mode fibers. Its impacts on transmission distance of uncoupled MDM link are comparably analyzed by evaluating the extreme cases relevant to the required splicing tolerances. Under different splicing conditions, the complexity of 2 × 2 MIMO equalizers is assessed by intra-modal relative group delay (RGD) emulation. Simulation results show that, by specifically controlling the lateral offsets at splicing points, an intra-modal RGD reduction of TSD LP11 modes can be obtained, benefiting the tap number decrease of the corresponding 2 × 2 MIMO equalizer. Besides, the propagation of TSD LP21 modes is verified to possess intra-modal splice-XT-immune property, indicating that the relevant intra-modal RGD will not be affected by splices.

This paper proposes a 2x2 MIMO OFDM Radio-over-Fiber scheme based on optical subcarrier multiplexing and 60-GHz MIMO wireless transmission. We also schematically investigated the principle of optical subcarrier multiplexing, which is based on a dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (DP-MZM). In our simulation result, combining two MIMO OFDM signals to drive DP-MZM gives rise to the PAPR augmentation of less than 0.4 dB, which mitigates nonlinear distortion. Moreover, we applied a Levin-Campello bit-loading algorithm to compensate for the uneven frequency responses in the V-band. The resulting system achieves OFDM signal rates of 61.5-Gbits/s with BER of 10(-3) over 25-km SMF transmission followed by 3-m wireless transmission. PMID:25969299

A class of channel models is presented which exhibit varying burst error severity much like channels encountered in practice. An information-theoretic analysis of these channel models is made, and conclusions are drawn that may aid in the design of coded communication systems for realistic noisy channels.

The effects of carrier phase estimation on IQ mismatch compensation are investigated and compared for coherent MIMO optical receiver. We investigate the impacts of phase IQ mismatch on required optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) for coherent MIMO detection. The impacts of number of modes and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) resolution are also evaluated. The results show that decision-directed carrier phase estimator could compensate significant amount of IQ mismatch without employing additional compensation technique, and relaxes requirement of ADC resolution.

Space-time transmission techniques can greatly increase the spectral efficiency. In this paper, a parallel multistage decision feedback equalizer (PMDFE) is proposed for single-carrier layered space-time systems with a fixed cyclic prefix over frequency-selective channels. It is composed of a parallel interference canceller, a multiple-input single-output decision feedback equalizer (MISO-DFE), and a linear combiner. The soft output of the MISO-DFE is linearly combined with the previous tentative soft decision. In addition, an algorithm is proposed to obtain tentative soft and hard decisions for initializing the equalizer. The initializing complexity of the PMDFE is lower than that of MIMO-OFDM. Simulation results show that the PMDFE outperforms MIMO-OFDM and previously existing equalizers for single-carrier layered space-time systems.

We consider the problem of single snapshot direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of multiple targets in monostatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar. When only a single snapshot is used, the sample covariance matrix of the data becomes non-invertible and, therefore, does not permit application of Capon-based DOA estimation techniques. On the other hand, low-resolution techniques, such as the conventional beamformer, suffer from biased estimation and fail to resolve closely spaced sources. In this paper, we propose a new Capon-based method for DOA estimation in MIMO radar using a single radar pulse. Assuming that the angular locations of the sources are known a priori to be located within a certain spatial sector, we employ multiple transmit beams to focus the transmit energy of multiple orthogonal waveforms within the desired sector. The transmit weight vectors are carefully designed such that they have the same transmit power distribution pattern. As compared to the standard MIMO radar, the proposed approach enables transmitting an arbitrary number of orthogonal waveforms. By using matched-filtering at the receiver, the data associated with each beam is extracted yielding a virtual data snapshot. The total number of virtual snapshots is equal to the number of transmit beams. By choosing the number of transmit beams to be larger than the number of receive elements, it becomes possible to form a full-rank sample covariance matrix. The Capon beamformer is then applied to estimate the DOAs of the targets of interest. The proposed method is shown to have improved DOA estimation performance as compared to conventional single-snapshot DOA estimation methods.

The two Miniaturized Moessbauer Spectrometers (MIMOS II) on board the two Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity have now been collecting important scientific data for more than four years. The spectrometers provide information about Fe-bearing mineral phases and determine Fe oxidation states. The total amount of targets analized exceeds 600, the total integration time exceeds 260 days for both rovers. Since landing, more than five half-lives of the Co-57 MB sources have past (intensity at the time of landing approx. 150 mCi). Current integration times are about 50 hours in order to achieve reasonable statistics as opposed to 8 hours at the beginning of the mission. In total, 13 different mineral phases were detected: Olivine, pyroxene, hematite, magnetite and nanophase ferric oxide were detected at both landing sites. At Gusev, ilmenite, goethite, a ferric sulfate phase and a yet unassigned phase (in the rock Fuzzy Smith) were detected. At Meridiani, jarosite, metallic iron in meteoritic samples (kamacite), troilite, and an unassigned ferric phase were detected. Jarosite and goethite are of special interest, as these minerals are indicators for water activity. In this abstract, an overview of Moessbauer results will be given, with a focus on data obtained since the last martian winter. The MER mission has proven that Moessbauer spectroscopy is a valuable tool for the in situ exploration of extraterrestrial bodies and for the study of Febearing samples. The experience gained through the MER mission makes MIMOS II a obvious choice for future missions to Mars and other targets. Currently, MIMOS II is on the scientific payload of two approved future missions: Phobos Grunt (Russian Space Agency; 2009) and ExoMars (European Space Agency; 2013).

The 2010 and 2012 In-Situ Resource Utilization Analogue Test (ISRU) [1] on the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawai'i was coordinated by the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (NORCAT) in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), through the PISCES program. Several instruments were tested as reference candidates for future analogue testing at the new field test site at the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawai'i. The fine-grained, volcanic nature of the material is a suitable lunar and martian analogue, and can be used to test excavation, site preparation, and resource utilization techniques. The 2010 location Pu'u Hiwahine, a cinder cone located below the summit of Mauna Kea (19deg45'39.29" N, 155deg28'14.56" W) at an elevation of 2800 m, provides a large number of slopes, rock avalanches, etc. to perform mobility tests, site preparation or resource prospecting. Besides hardware testing of technologies and systems related to resource identification, also in situ science measurements played a significant role in integration of ISRU and science instruments. For the advanced Mössbauer instrument MIMOS IIA, the new detector technologies and electronic components increase sensitivity and performance significantly. In combination with the high energy resolution of the SDD it is possible to perform Xray fluorescence analysis simultaneously to Mössbauer spectroscopy. In addition to the Fe-mineralogy, information on the sample's elemental composition will be gathered. The 2010 and 2012 field campaigns demonstrated that in-situ Mössbauer spectroscopy is an effective tool for both science and feedstock exploration and process monitoring. Engineering tests showed that a compact nickel metal hydride battery provided sufficient power for over 12 hr of continuous operation for the MIMOS instruments.

The tracking and disturbance rejection of a class of MIMO nonlinear systems with linear proportional plus integral (PI) compensator is studied. Roughly speaking, it is shown that if the given nonlinear plant is exponentially stable and has a strictly increasing dc steady-state I/O map, then a simple PI compensator can be used to yield a stable unity-feedback closed-loop system which asymptotically tracks reference inputs that tend to constant vectors and asymptotically rejects disturbances that tend to constant vectors.

A generalized mathematical model is proposed for behaviors prediction of biological causal systems with multiple inputs and multiple outputs (MIMO). The system properties are represented by a set of model parameters, which can be derived with random input stimuli probing it. The system calculates predicted outputs based on the estimated parameters and its novel inputs. An efficient hardware architecture is established for this mathematical model and its circuitry has been implemented using the field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). This architecture is scalable and its functionality has been validated by using experimental data gathered from real-world measurement. PMID:25571001

We study chaos and scrambling in unitary channels by considering their entanglement properties as states. Using out-of-time-order correlation functions to diagnose chaos, we characterize the ability of a channel to process quantum information. We show that the generic decay of such correlators implies that any input subsystem must have near vanishing mutual information with almost all partitions of the output. Additionally, we propose the negativity of the tripartite information of the channel as a general diagnostic of scrambling. This measures the delocalization of information and is closely related to the decay of out-of-time-order correlators. We back up our results with numerics in two non-integrable models and analytic results in a perfect tensor network model of chaotic time evolution. These results show that the butterfly effect in quantum systems implies the information-theoretic definition of scrambling.

Next-generation (NG) access networks require simultaneous provision of wired and wireless services and high data rates to meet the large demands of mobility and multiple services. In this paper, we propose a novel spectral efficient radio over fiber (RoF) scheme to simultaneously provide two spatially multiplexed multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless signals with a baseband (BB) wired signal in one wavelength using a centralized light source. The proposed scheme can be applicable to wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks (WDM-PONs). The BB signal is modulated at a low extinction ratio (ER). The modulated light is re-used to modulate two MIMO signals that have the same carrier frequency that is combined optically using polarization-division-multiplexing (PDM). The data rate for each MIMO stream was 1.25 Gb/s, and the data rate was 2.5 Gb/s for the BB signal. Error free performance with a bit error rate (BER) of 10-9 was achieved for all three signals after 20 km and 60 km through single mode fiber (SMF) for 16-QAM and 4-QAM for the MIMO signals, respectively.

Next-generation wireless networks will integrate multiple wireless access technologies and the users will access the network using one of several available radio access technologies. In this paper, we study the spectrum access problem in heterogeneous multipleinput multiple-output (MIMO) networks through a game theoretic approach. The spectrum access problem in the considered system model is defined as joint network selection and discrete power control. We formulate the problem as a noncooperative game where the players are the multi-mode terminals and. The proposed common utility function takes both transmission rate and the power consumption into account. This game is shown to be a potential game which possess at least one pure strategy Nash equilibrium (NE) and the optimal strategy profile which maximizes the total energy efficiency of the heterogeneous MIMO network constitutes a pure strategy NE of our proposed game. Furthermore, we prove that the price of anarchy of the proposed game is equal to 1. In order to achieve the pure strategy NE, we design an iterative spectrum access algorithm. The convergence and the complexity of our designed algorithm is discussed. It is shown that the designed algorithm can achieve optimal performance with low complexity.

Communication performance in the color-independent visual-multiple input multiple output (visual-MIMO) technique is deteriorated by light emitting array (LEA) detection and tracking errors in the received image because the image sensor included in the camera must be used as the receiver in the visual-MIMO system. In this paper, in order to improve detection reliability, we first set up the color-space-based region of interest (ROI) in which an LEA is likely to be placed, and then use the Harris corner detection method. Next, we use Kalman filtering for robust tracking by predicting the most probable location of the LEA when the relative position between the camera and the LEA varies. In the last step of our proposed method, the perspective projection is used to correct the distorted image, which can improve the symbol decision accuracy. Finally, through numerical simulation, we show the possibility of robust detection and tracking of the LEA, which results in a symbol error rate (SER) performance improvement. PMID:27384563

Communication performance in the color-independent visual-multiple input multiple output (visual-MIMO) technique is deteriorated by light emitting array (LEA) detection and tracking errors in the received image because the image sensor included in the camera must be used as the receiver in the visual-MIMO system. In this paper, in order to improve detection reliability, we first set up the color-space-based region of interest (ROI) in which an LEA is likely to be placed, and then use the Harris corner detection method. Next, we use Kalman filtering for robust tracking by predicting the most probable location of the LEA when the relative position between the camera and the LEA varies. In the last step of our proposed method, the perspective projection is used to correct the distorted image, which can improve the symbol decision accuracy. Finally, through numerical simulation, we show the possibility of robust detection and tracking of the LEA, which results in a symbol error rate (SER) performance improvement. PMID:27384563

In this paper, we explore a new resource called multi-target diversity to optimize the performance of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) radar with widely separated antennas for detecting multiple targets. In particular, we allocate antennas of the MIMO radar to probe different targets simultaneously in a flexible manner based on the performance metric of relative entropy. Two antenna allocation schemes are proposed. In the first scheme, each antenna is allocated to illuminate a proper target over the entire illumination time, so that the detection performance of each target is guaranteed. The problem is formulated as a minimum makespan scheduling problem in the combinatorial optimization framework. Antenna allocation is implemented through a branch-and-bound algorithm and an enhanced factor 2 algorithm. In the second scheme, called antenna-time allocation, each antenna is allocated to illuminate different targets with different illumination time. Both antenna allocation and time allocation are optimized based on illumination probabilities. Over a large range of transmitted power, target fluctuations and target numbers, both of the proposed antenna allocation schemes outperform the scheme without antenna allocation. Moreover, the antenna-time allocation scheme achieves a more robust detection performance than branch-and-bound algorithm and the enhanced factor 2 algorithm when the target number changes. PMID:25350505

While many techniques exist for local spectrum sensing of a primary user, each represents a computationally demanding task to secondary user receivers. In software-defined radio, computational complexity lengthens the time for a cognitive radio to recognize changes in the transmission environment. This complexity is even more significant for spatially multiplexed receivers, e.g., in SIMO and MIMO, where the spatio-temporal data sets grow in size with the number of antennae. Limits on power and space for the processor hardware further constrain SDR performance. In this report, we discuss improvements in spatio-temporal twice whitening (STTW) for real-time local spectrum sensing by demonstrating a form of STTW well suited for MIMO environments. We implement STTW on the Coherent Logix hx3100 processor, a multicore processor intended for low-power, high-throughput software-defined signal processing. These results demonstrate how coupling the novel capabilities of emerging multicore processors with algorithmic advances can enable real-time, software-defined processing of large spatio-temporal data sets.

The importance of respiratory monitoring systems during sleep have increased due to early diagnosis of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in the home. This paper presents a simple respiratory monitoring system suitable for home use having 3D ranging of targets. The range resolution and azimuth resolution are obtained by a stepped frequency transmitting signal and MIMO arrays with preferred pair M-sequence codes doubly modulating in transmission and reception, respectively. Due to the use of these codes, Gold sequence codes corresponding to all the antenna combinations are equivalently modulated in receiver. The signal to interchannel interference ratio of the reconstructed image is evaluated by numerical simulations. The results of experiments on a developed prototype 3D-MIMO radar system show that this system can extract only the motion of respiration of a human subject 2m apart from a metallic rotatable reflector. Moreover, it is found that this system can successfully measure the respiration information of sleeping human subjects for 96.6 percent of the whole measurement time except for instances of large posture change.

The TRP (Transient Receptor Potential) superfamily of cation channels is remarkable in that it displays greater diversity in activation mechanisms and selectivities than any other group of ion channels. The domain organizations of some TRP proteins are also unusual, as they consist of linked channel and enzyme domains. A unifying theme in this group is that TRP proteins play critical roles in sensory physiology, which include contributions to vision, taste, olfaction, hearing, touch, and thermo- and osmosensation. In addition, TRP channels enable individual cells to sense changes in their local environment. Many TRP channels are activated by a variety of different stimuli and function as signal integrators. The TRP superfamily is divided into seven subfamilies: the five group 1 TRPs (TRPC, TRPV, TRPM, TRPN, and TRPA) and two group 2 subfamilies (TRPP and TRPML). TRP channels are important for human health as mutations in at least four TRP channels underlie disease. PMID:17579562

Kashima Space Technology Center (KSTC) is making use of two kinds of software correlators, the multi-channel K5/VSSP software correlator and the fast wide-band correlator 'GICO3,' for geodetic and R&D VLBI experiments. Overview of the activity and future plans are described in this paper.

Cyclotron resonance scattering features observed in the spectra of some X-ray pulsars show significant changes of the line centroid energy with the pulsar luminosity. Whereas for bright sources above the so-called critical luminosity, these variations are established to be connected with the appearance of the high-accretion column above the neutron star surface, at low, sub-critical luminosities the nature of the variations (but with the opposite sign) has not been discussed widely. We argue here that the cyclotron line is formed when the radiation from a hotspot propagates through the plasma falling with a mildly relativistic velocity on to the neutron star surface. The position of the cyclotron resonance is determined by the Doppler effect. The change of the cyclotron line position in the spectrum with luminosity is caused by variations of the velocity profile in the line-forming region affected by the radiation pressure force. The presented model has several characteristic features: (i) the line centroid energy is positively correlated with the luminosity; (ii) the line width is positively correlated with the luminosity as well; (iii) the position and the width of the cyclotron absorption line are variable over the pulse phase; (iv) the line has a more complicated shape than widely used Lorentzian or Gaussian profiles; (v) the phase-resolved cyclotron line centroid energy and the width are negatively and positively correlated with the pulse intensity, respectively. The predictions of the proposed theory are compared with the variations of the cyclotron line parameters in the X-ray pulsar GX 304-1 over a wide range of sub-critical luminosities as seen by the INTEGRAL observatory.

In MIMO systems, the deployment of a multiple antenna technique can enhance the system performance. However, since the cost of RF transmitters is much higher than that of antennas, there is growing interest in techniques that use a larger number of antennas than the number of RF transmitters. These methods rely on selecting the optimal transmitter antennas and connecting them to the respective. In this case, feedback information (FBI) is required to select the optimal transmitter antenna elements. Since FBI is control overhead, the rate of the feedback is limited. This motivates the study of limited feedback techniques where only partial or quantized information from the receiver is conveyed back to the transmitter. However, in MIMO/OFDM systems, it is difficult to develop an effective FBI quantization method for choosing the space-time, space-frequency, or space-time-frequency processing due to the numerous subchannels. Moreover, MIMO/OFDM systems require antenna separation of 5 ∼ 10 wavelengths to keep the correlation coefficient below 0.7 to achieve a diversity gain. In this case, the base station requires a large space to set up multiple antennas. To reduce these problems, in this paper, we propose the link correlation based transmit sector antenna selection for Alamouti coded OFDM without FBI.

The Laptev and East Siberian Seas cover large areas of the continental margin of North-Eastern Siberia and are separated by the New Siberian Islands. The East Siberian Shelf covering an area of 935.000 km2 is a virtually unexplored area and most geological models for this shelf are extrapolations of the geology of the New Siberian Islands, the Wrangel Island and the northeast Siberia landmass. Apart from few seismic reflection lines airborne magnetic data were the primary means of deciphering the structural pattern of the East Siberian Shelf. The Laptev Shelf covers an area of about 66.000 km2 and occupies a shelf region, where the active mid-oceanic spreading ridge meets the slope of a continental margin. Since no deep wells have been drilled so far on the shelves surrounding the New Siberian Islands, the precise age and nature of seismic horizons remain uncertain. All interpretations base on different evolution scenarios for the shelf areas resulting in a wide variety of interpretations available for the sedimentary cover of the Laptev Shelf where the interpretations range from Proterozoic to Cenozoic. During the joint VSEGEI/BGR field expedition CASE 13 (Circum Arctic Structural Events) in summer 2011 we sampled outcrops from the New Sibirian Archipelago including the DeLong Islands. Main purposes of the field work were: deciphering the structural evolution, paleo-stress analysis, stratigraphy and paleo-environmetal studies, and collection of potential hydrocarbon source rocks and host rocks. Here we present correlations from onshore to offshore based on multichannel reflection seismic data acquired by BGR in the 1990th and the field campaign CASE 13. Key marker horizons in the offshore data will be linked to major hiatuses in the onshore region. Well information is available close by the Lena delta in the form of sketched stratigraphy ranging from Proterozoic to Cretaceous. Both informations can be reconciled on a cross section despite a gap of approximately 25

In this paper, a control strategy to balance the reliability against efficiency is introduced to overcome the common off-design operation problem in pump-valve systems. The pump-valve system is a nonlinear multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) system with time delays which cannot be accurately measured but can be approximately modeled using Bernoulli Principle. A fuzzy adaptive controller is applied to approximate system parameters and achieve the control of delay-free model since the system model is inaccurate and the direct feedback linearization method cannot be applied. An extended Smith predictor is introduced to compensate time delays of the system using the inaccurate system model. The experiment is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the control strategy whose results show that the control performance is well achieved. PMID:25681018

In this paper, an adaptive dynamic surface control scheme is proposed for a class of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) nonlinear time-varying systems. By fusing a bound estimation approach, a smooth function and a time-varying matrix factorisation, the obstacle caused by unknown time-varying parameters is circumvented. The proposed scheme is free of the problem of explosion of complexity and needs only one updated parameter at each design step. Moreover, all tracking errors can converge to predefined arbitrarily small residual sets with a prescribed convergence rate and maximum overshoot. Such features result in a simple adaptive controller which can be easily implemented in applications with less computational burden and satisfactory tracking performance. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

A frequency-domain procedure for the design of sliding mode controllers for multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) systems is presented. The methodology accommodates the effects of parasitic dynamics such as those introduced by unmodeled actuators through the introduction of multiple asymptotic observers and model reference hedging. The design procedure includes a frequency domain approach to specify the sliding manifold, the observer eigenvalues, and the hedge model. The procedure is applied to the development of a flight control system for a linear model of the Innovative Control Effector (ICE) fighter aircraft. The stability and performance robustness of the resulting design is demonstrated through the introduction of significant degradation in the control effector actuators and variation in vehicle dynamics.

In this work, we present an energy efficient hierarchical cooperative clustering scheme for wireless sensor networks. Communication cost is a crucial factor in depleting the energy of sensor nodes. In the proposed scheme, nodes cooperate to form clusters at each level of network hierarchy ensuring maximal coverage and minimal energy expenditure with relatively uniform distribution of load within the network. Performance is enhanced by cooperative multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication ensuring energy efficiency for WSN deployments over large geographical areas. We test our scheme using TOSSIM and compare the proposed scheme with cooperative multiple-input multiple-output (CMIMO) clustering scheme and traditional multihop Single-Input-Single-Output (SISO) routing approach. Performance is evaluated on the basis of number of clusters, number of hops, energy consumption and network lifetime. Experimental results show significant energy conservation and increase in network lifetime as compared to existing schemes. PMID:22368459

Imaging a fast maneuvering target has been an active research area in past decades. Usually, an array antenna with multiple elements is implemented to avoid the motion compensations involved in the inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging. Nevertheless, there is a price dilemma due to the high level of hardware complexity compared to complex algorithm implemented in the ISAR imaging system with only one antenna. In this paper, a wideband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar system with two distributed arrays is proposed to reduce the hardware complexity of the system. Furthermore, the system model, the equivalent array production method and the imaging procedure are presented. As compared with the classical real aperture radar (RAR) imaging system, there is a very important contribution in our method that the lower hardware complexity can be involved in the imaging system since many additive virtual array elements can be obtained. Numerical simulations are provided for testing our system and imaging method. PMID:20051345

This paper presents a comparative study of fuzzy controller design for the twin rotor multi-input multioutput (MIMO) system (TRMS) considering most promising evolutionary techniques. These are gravitational search algorithm (GSA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), artificial bee colony (ABC), and differential evolution (DE). In this study, the gains of four fuzzy proportional derivative (PD) controllers for TRMS have been optimized using the considered techniques. The optimization techniques are developed to identify the optimal control parameters for system stability enhancement, to cancel high nonlinearities in the model, to reduce the coupling effect, and to drive TRMS pitch and yaw angles into the desired tracking trajectory efficiently and accurately. The most effective technique in terms of system response due to different disturbances has been investigated. In this work, it is observed that GSA is the most effective technique in terms of solution quality and convergence speed. PMID:25960738

This paper investigates an adaptive controller for a class of Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) nonlinear systems with unknown parameters, bounded time delays and in the presence of unknown time varying actuator failures. The type of considered actuator failure is one in which some inputs may be stuck at some time varying values where the values, times and patterns of the failures are unknown. The proposed approach is constructed based on a backstepping design method. The boundedness of all the closed-loop signals is guaranteed and the tracking errors are proved to converge to a small neighborhood of the origin. The proposed approach is employed for a double inverted pendulums benchmark and a chemical reactor system. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. PMID:25792517

In this paper, a novel sparsity-aware direction of arrival (DOA) estimation scheme for a noncircular source is proposed in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar. In the proposed method, the reduced-dimensional transformation technique is adopted to eliminate the redundant elements. Then, exploiting the noncircularity of signals, a joint sparsity-aware scheme based on the reweighted l 1 norm penalty is formulated for DOA estimation, in which the diagonal elements of the weight matrix are the coefficients of the noncircular MUSIC-like (NC MUSIC-like) spectrum. Compared to the existing l 1 norm penalty-based methods, the proposed scheme provides higher angular resolution and better DOA estimation performance. Results from numerical experiments are used to show the effectiveness of our proposed method. PMID:27089345

This paper addresses synchronisation problem of high-order multi-input/multi-output (MIMO) multi-agent systems. Each agent has unknown nonlinear dynamics and is subject to uncertain external disturbances. The agents must follow a reference trajectory. An adaptive distributed controller based on relative information of neighbours of each agent is designed to solve the problem for any undirected connected communication topology. A radial basis function neural network is used to represent the controller's unknown structure. Lyapunov stability analysis is employed to guarantee stability of the overall system. By the theoretical analysis, the closed-loop control system is shown to be uniformly ultimately bounded. Finally, simulations are provided to show effectiveness of the proposed control method against uncertainty and disturbances.

Adaptive tracking control of a class of MIMO nonlinear system preceded by unknown hysteresis is investigated. Based on dynamic surface control, an adaptive robust control law is developed and compensators are designed to mitigate the influences of both the unknown bounded external uncertainties and the unknown Prandtl-Islinskii hysteresis. By adopting the low-pass filters, the explosion of complexity caused by tedious computation of the time derivatives of the virtual control laws is overcome. With the proposed control scheme, the closed-loop system is proved to be semi-globally ultimately bounded by the Lyapunov stability theory, and the output of the controlled system can track the desired trajectories with an arbitrarily small error. Finally, numerical simulations are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

An adaptive fuzzy output feedback controller is proposed for a class of uncertain MIMO nonlinear systems with unknown input nonlinearities. The input nonlinearities can be backlash-like hysteresis or dead-zone. Besides, the gains of unknown input nonlinearities are unknown nonlinear functions. Based on universal approximation theorem, the unknown nonlinear functions are approximated by fuzzy systems. The proposed method does not need the availability of the states and an observer based on strictly positive real (SPR) theory is designed to estimate the states. An adaptive robust structure is used to cope with fuzzy approximation error and external disturbances. The semi-global asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system is guaranteed via Lyapunov approach. The applicability of the proposed method is also shown via simulations. PMID:25104646

A parallelized and pipelined architecture based on FPGA and a higher-level Self Reconfiguration Platform are proposed in this paper to model Generalized Laguerre-Volterra MIMO system essential in identifying the time-varying neural dynamics underlying spike activities. Our proposed design is based on the Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA platform and the processing core can produce data samples at a speed of 1.33 × 10(6)/s, which is 3.1 × 10(3) times faster than the corresponding C model running on an Intel i7-860 Quad Core Processor. The ongoing work of the construction of the advanced Self Reconfiguration Platform is presented and initial test results are provided. PMID:22256020

In this work, we present an energy efficient hierarchical cooperative clustering scheme for wireless sensor networks. Communication cost is a crucial factor in depleting the energy of sensor nodes. In the proposed scheme, nodes cooperate to form clusters at each level of network hierarchy ensuring maximal coverage and minimal energy expenditure with relatively uniform distribution of load within the network. Performance is enhanced by cooperative multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication ensuring energy efficiency for WSN deployments over large geographical areas. We test our scheme using TOSSIM and compare the proposed scheme with cooperative multiple-input multiple-output (CMIMO) clustering scheme and traditional multihop Single-Input-Single-Output (SISO) routing approach. Performance is evaluated on the basis of number of clusters, number of hops, energy consumption and network lifetime. Experimental results show significant energy conservation and increase in network lifetime as compared to existing schemes. PMID:22368459

In this paper, a novel sparsity-aware direction of arrival (DOA) estimation scheme for a noncircular source is proposed in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar. In the proposed method, the reduced-dimensional transformation technique is adopted to eliminate the redundant elements. Then, exploiting the noncircularity of signals, a joint sparsity-aware scheme based on the reweighted l1 norm penalty is formulated for DOA estimation, in which the diagonal elements of the weight matrix are the coefficients of the noncircular MUSIC-like (NC MUSIC-like) spectrum. Compared to the existing l1 norm penalty-based methods, the proposed scheme provides higher angular resolution and better DOA estimation performance. Results from numerical experiments are used to show the effectiveness of our proposed method. PMID:27089345

This paper presents a comparative study of fuzzy controller design for the twin rotor multi-input multioutput (MIMO) system (TRMS) considering most promising evolutionary techniques. These are gravitational search algorithm (GSA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), artificial bee colony (ABC), and differential evolution (DE). In this study, the gains of four fuzzy proportional derivative (PD) controllers for TRMS have been optimized using the considered techniques. The optimization techniques are developed to identify the optimal control parameters for system stability enhancement, to cancel high nonlinearities in the model, to reduce the coupling effect, and to drive TRMS pitch and yaw angles into the desired tracking trajectory efficiently and accurately. The most effective technique in terms of system response due to different disturbances has been investigated. In this work, it is observed that GSA is the most effective technique in terms of solution quality and convergence speed. PMID:25960738

In this article, we study the problem of angle estimation for bistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar and propose an improved multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm for joint direction of departure (DOD) and direction of arrival (DOA) estimation. The proposed algorithm obtains initial estimations of angles obtained from the signal subspace and uses the local one-dimensional peak searches to achieve the joint estimations of DOD and DOA. The angle estimation performance of the proposed algorithm is better than that of estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT) algorithm, and is almost the same as that of two-dimensional MUSIC. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm can be suitable for irregular array geometry, obtain automatically paired DOD and DOA estimations, and avoid two-dimensional peak searching. The simulation results verify the effectiveness and improvement of the algorithm.

A closed-form expression for the capacity of an array of correlated Gaussian channels is derived. It is shown that when signal and noise are independent, the array of observables can be replaced with a single observable without diminishing the capacity of the array channel. Examples are provided to illustrate the dependence of channel capacity on noise correlation for two- and three-channel arrays.

A closed-form expression for the capacity of an array of correlated Gaussian channels is derived. It is shown that when signal and noise are independent, the array of observables can be replaced with a single observable without diminishing the capacity of the array channel. Examples are provided to illustrate the dependence of channel capacity on noise correlation for two- and three-channel arrays.

The Cholesky decomposition-block diagonalization (CD-BD) interference alignment (IA) for a multiuser multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) relay system is proposed, which designs precoders for the multiple access channel (MAC) by employing the singular value decomposition (SVD) as well as the mean square error (MSE) detector for the broadcast Hermitian channel (BHC) taken advantage of in our design. Also, in our proposed CD-BD IA algorithm, the relaying function is made use to restructure the quasieigenvalue decomposition (quasi-EVD) equivalent channel. This approach used for the design of BD precoding matrix can significantly reduce the computational complexity and proposed algorithm can address several optimization criteria, which is achieved by designing the precoding matrices in two steps. In the first step, we use Cholesky decomposition to maximize the sum-of-rate (SR) with the minimum mean square error (MMSE) detection. In the next step, we optimize the system BER performance with the overlap of the row spaces spanned by the effective channel matrices of different users. By iterating the closed form of the solution, we are able not only to maximize the achievable sum-of-rate (ASR), but also to minimize the BER performance at a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) region. PMID:25258731

In work spanning more than a century, mitochondria have been recognized for their multifunctional roles in metabolism, energy transduction, ion transport, inheritance, signaling, and cell death. Foremost among these tasks is the continuous production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation, which requires a large electrochemical driving force for protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane. This process requires a membrane with relatively low permeability to ions to minimize energy dissipation. However, a wealth of evidence now indicates that both selective and nonselective ion channels are present in the mitochondrial inner membrane, along with several known channels on the outer membrane. Some of these channels are active under physiological conditions, and others may be activated under pathophysiological conditions to act as the major determinants of cell life and death. This review summarizes research on mitochondrial ion channels and efforts to identify their molecular correlates. Except in a few cases, our understanding of the structure of mitochondrial ion channels is limited, indicating the need for focused discovery in this area. PMID:17059356

The mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) protein is a key factor in tumor necrosis factor-induced necroptosis. Recent studies on necroptosis execution revealed a commitment role of MLKL in membrane disruption. However, our knowledge of how MLKL functions on membrane remains very limited. Here we demonstrate that MLKL forms cation channels that are permeable preferentially to Mg2+ rather than Ca2+ in the presence of Na+ and K+. Moreover, the N-terminal domain containing six helices (H1-H6) is sufficient to form channels. Using the substituted cysteine accessibility method, we further determine that helix H1, H2, H3, H5 and H6 are transmembrane segments, while H4 is located in the cytoplasm. Finally, MLKL-induced membrane depolarization and cell death exhibit a positive correlation to its channel activity. The Mg2+-preferred permeability and five transmembrane segment topology distinguish MLKL from previously identified Mg2+-permeable channels and thus establish MLKL as a novel class of cation channels. PMID:27033670

NASA has identified deep-space optical communications links as an integral part of a unified space communication network in order to provide data rates in excess of 100 Mb/s. The distances and limited power inherent in a deep-space optical downlink necessitate the use of photon-counting detectors and a power-efficient modulation such as pulse position modulation (PPM). For the output of each photodetector, whether from a separate telescope or a portion of the detection area, a communication receiver estimates a log-likelihood ratio for each PPM slot. To realize the full effective aperture of these receivers, their outputs must be combined prior to information decoding. A channel combiner was developed to synchronize the log-likelihood ratio (LLR) sequences of multiple receivers, and then combines these into a single LLR sequence for information decoding. The channel combiner synchronizes the LLR sequences of up to three receivers and then combines these into a single LLR sequence for output. The channel combiner has three channel inputs, each of which takes as input a sequence of four-bit LLRs for each PPM slot in a codeword via a XAUI 10 Gb/s quad optical fiber interface. The cross-correlation between the channels LLR time series are calculated and used to synchronize the sequences prior to combining. The output of the channel combiner is a sequence of four-bit LLRs for each PPM slot in a codeword via a XAUI 10 Gb/s quad optical fiber interface. The unit is controlled through a 1 Gb/s Ethernet UDP/IP interface. A deep-space optical communication link has not yet been demonstrated. This ground-station channel combiner was developed to demonstrate this capability and is unique in its ability to process such a signal.

Evidence is accumulating on the role of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, namely TRPV1, TRPA1, TRPV4 and TRPM8, expressed by C- and Aδ-fibres primary sensory neurons, in cough mechanism. Selective stimuli for these channels have been proven to provoke and, more rarely, to inhibit cough. More importantly, cough threshold to TRP agonists is increased by proinflammatory conditions, known to favour cough. Off-target effects of various drugs, such as tiotropium or desflurane, seem to produce their protective or detrimental actions on airway irritation and cough via TRPV1 and TRPA1, respectively. Thus, TRPs appear to encode the process that initiates or potentiates cough, activated by exogenous irritants and endogenous proinflammatory mediators. More research on TRP channels may result in innovative cough medicines. PMID:25725213

In this work we extend the concept of uplink-downlink rate balancing to frequency division duplex (FDD) massive MIMO systems. We consider a base station with large number antennas serving many single antenna users. We first show that any unused capacity in the uplink can be traded off for higher throughput in the downlink in a system that uses either dirty paper (DP) coding or linear zero-forcing (ZF) precoding. We then also study the scaling of the system throughput with the number of antennas in cases of linear Beamforming (BF) Precoding, ZF Precoding, and DP coding. We show that the downlink throughput is proportional to the logarithm of the number of antennas. While, this logarithmic scaling is lower than the linear scaling of the rate in the uplink, it can still bring significant throughput gains. For example, we demonstrate through analysis and simulation that increasing the number of antennas from 4 to 128 will increase the throughput by more than a factor of 5. We also show that a logarithmic scaling of downlink throughput as a function of the number of receive antennas can be achieved even when the number of transmit antennas only increases logarithmically with the number of receive antennas.

This paper presents a self-organizing control system based on cerebellar model articulation controller (CMAC) for a class of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) uncertain nonlinear systems. The proposed control system merges a CMAC and sliding-mode control (SMC), so the input space dimension of CMAC can be simplified. The structure of CMAC will be self-organized; that is, the layers of CMAC will grow or prune systematically and their receptive functions can be automatically adjusted. The control system consists of a self-organizing CMAC (SOCM) and a robust controller. SOCM containing a CMAC uncertainty observer is used as the principal controller and the robust controller is designed to dispel the effect of approximation error. The gradient-descent method is used to online tune the parameters of CMAC and the Lyapunov function is applied to guarantee the stability of the system. A simulation study of inverted double pendulums system and an experimental result of linear ultrasonic motor motion control show that favorable tracking performance can be achieved by using the proposed control system. PMID:19398404

Room temperature 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy has been used to obtain information on the redox and coordination of iron in tektites. A MIMOS II spectrometer in backscattering geometry has been used in the study, so that no sample preparation at all was required. X-ray fluorescence has been used to determine the composition of the tektites. Mössbauer spectra have been deconvoluted using three extended Voigt-based profiles to allow quantitative analysis of iron atoms valence and coordination. In all tektites, the Fesites have been distinguished in Fe with octahedral and tetrahedral coordination. The Feoctahedral sites show a region of isomer shift (IS) and quadrupole splitting (QS), IS 1.02-1.14 mm/s and QS 1.82-2.12 mm/s, relative to -Fe. The Fetetrahedral sites show a region of hyperfine parameters of IS = 0.59-0.89 mm/s and QS = 1.14-1.60 mm/s. The Fe3+sites show IS = 0.11-0.33 mm/s and QS = 0.02-0.04 mm/s. The Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio was found to be 0.025-0.149.

A prototype adaptive automatic control algorithm was implemented to regulate temperatures measured at several points in a tumour by adjusting the power applied to several ultrasound transducers. The goal was to control the temperatures under the elements of a mosaic applicator individually without any priori knowledge of which probes are under which elements. The control algorithm was devised for clinical applications where the position of each probe with respect to the heat sources is difficult to determine precisely. Instead, the program 'learns' the relationship between the inputs (power levels) and the outputs (temperatures) automatically. Based on the observed transfer function relating the power at m sources to the temperatures n probes, where n and m are not necessarily the same, a new method was used to implement a feedback controller. This method simplifies the design of the controller for a multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) system, while taking into account the coupling that may exist between the various elements of the system. As a result of using an adaptive scheme, the regulator continuously tracks changes in the system, such as blood flow variations or patient motion, by modifying its control parameters. The algorithm performance has been tested in simulations as well as experiments in dog thigh and a perfused kidney model. PMID:8366306

This paper is concerned with spatial properties of linear arrays of antennas spaced less than half wavelength. Possible applications are in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless links for the purpose of increasing the spatial multiplexing gain in a scattering environment, as well as in other areas such as sonar and radar. With reference to a receiving array, we show that knowledge of the received field can be extrapolated beyond the actual array size by exploiting the finiteness of the interval of real directions from which the field components impinge on the array. This property permits to increase the performance of the array in terms of angular resolution. A simple signal processing technique is proposed allowing formation of a set of beams capable to cover uniformly the entire horizon with an angular resolution better than that achievable by a classical uniform-weighing half-wavelength-spaced linear array. Results are also applicable to active arrays. As the above approach leads to arrays operating in super-directive regime, we discuss all related critical aspects, such as sensitivity to external and internal noises and to array imperfections, and bandwidth, so as to identify the basic design criteria ensuring the array feasibility.

In this paper, a new tensor-based subspace approach is proposed to estimate the direction of departure (DOD) and the direction of arrival (DOA) for bistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar in the presence of spatial colored noise. Firstly, the received signals can be packed into a third-order measurement tensor by exploiting the inherent structure of the matched filter. Then, the measurement tensor can be divided into two sub-tensors, and a cross-covariance tensor is formulated to eliminate the spatial colored noise. Finally, the signal subspace is constructed by utilizing the higher-order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) of the cross-covariance tensor, and the DOD and DOA can be obtained through the estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance technique (ESPRIT) algorithm, which are paired automatically. Since the multidimensional inherent structure and the cross-covariance tensor technique are used, the proposed method provides better angle estimation performance than Chen's method, the ESPRIT algorithm and the multi-SVD method. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness and the advantage of the proposed method. PMID:24573313

This paper presents a system model and method for the 2-D imaging application via a narrowband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar system with two perpendicular linear arrays. Furthermore, the imaging formulation for our method is developed through a Fourier integral processing, and the parameters of antenna array including the cross-range resolution, required size, and sampling interval are also examined. Different from the spatial sequential procedure sampling the scattered echoes during multiple snapshot illuminations in inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging, the proposed method utilizes a spatial parallel procedure to sample the scattered echoes during a single snapshot illumination. Consequently, the complex motion compensation in ISAR imaging can be avoided. Moreover, in our array configuration, multiple narrowband spectrum-shared waveforms coded with orthogonal polyphase sequences are employed. The mainlobes of the compressed echoes from the different filter band could be located in the same range bin, and thus, the range alignment in classical ISAR imaging is not necessary. Numerical simulations based on synthetic data are provided for testing our proposed method. PMID:20040416

In this article, an adaptive dynamic surface control scheme for a class of MIMO nonlinear systems with actuator failures and uncertainties is presented. In the proposed control scheme, the dynamic changes and disturbances induced by actuator failures are detected and isolated by means of radial basis function neural networks, which also compensate system uncertainties that arise from the mismatch between nominal model and real plant. In the presence of unknown actuation functions, the effectiveness of the control scheme is guaranteed by imposing a structural condition on the actuation matrix. Moreover, the singularity problem that arises from the approximation of unknown actuation functions is circumvented, and thus the use parameter projection is avoided. In this work, the nominal plant is transformed into a suitable form via diffeomorphism. Dynamic surface control design technique is used to develop the control laws. The closed-loop signals are proven to be uniformly ultimately bounded through Lyapunov approach, and the output tracking error is shown to be bounded within a residual set which can be made arbitrarily small by appropriately tuning the controller parameters. Finally, the proposed adaptive control scheme effectiveness is verified by simulation of the longitudinal dynamics of a twin otter aircraft undergoing actuator failures.

A first-order requirement of spacecraft missions that land on Mars is instrumentation for in situ mineralogical analysis. Moessbauer Spectroscopy is a powerful tool for quantitative analysis of Fe-bearing materials. The Athena Moessbauer spectrometer MIMOS II on the martian surface will provide: (1) identification of iron-bearing phases (e.g., oxides, silicates, sulfides, sulfates, and carbonates), (2) quantitative measurement of the distribution of iron among its oxidation states (e.g., Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) ratio), and (3) quantitative measurement of the distribution of iron among iron-bearing phases (e.g., the relative proportions of iron in olivine, pyroxene, and magnetite in a basalt) in rocks and soils. Moessbauer data will also be highly complementary with chemical analyses from the APXS and the Mini-TES compositional data. Mars is a particularly good place to do Moessbauer mineralogy because its surface is iron rich (approx. 20% Fe as Fe2O3). Moessbauer spectrometers that are built with backscatter measurement geometry require no sample preparation, a factor important for in situ planetary measurements.

This paper presents a fuzzy PID control scheme with a real-valued genetic algorithm (RGA) to a setpoint control problem. The objective of this paper is to control a twin rotor MIMO system (TRMS) to move quickly and accurately to the desired attitudes, both the pitch angle and the azimuth angle in a cross-coupled condition. A fuzzy compensator is applied to the PID controller. The proposed control structure includes four PID controllers with independent inputs in 2-DOF. In order to reduce total error and control energy, all parameters of the controller are obtained by a RGA with the system performance index as a fitness function. The system performance index utilized the integral of time multiplied by the square error criterion (ITSE) to build a suitable fitness function in the RGA. A new method for RGA to solve more than 10 parameters in the control scheme is investigated. For real-time control, Xilinx Spartan II SP200 FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is employed to construct a hardware-in-the-loop system through writing VHDL on this FPGA. PMID:21802080

As an important development of medical instrumentation, minimally invasive therapeutic operations have been recently introduced. The foremost element of minimally invasive techniques is navigating a micro-device through human body, especially inside blood vessels. A remote actuation over the micro-device is normally provided by electromagnetic actuators. In most applications, a control scheme is also required to initiate the actuation force, the magnetic propulsion, such that at every time step, the micro-device moves towards or along a given path. This paper contributes in development of the electromagnetic system model mostly used in magnetic navigation systems to be representable in control affine form. Next, a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) trajectory tracking controller is designed to conduct the auto-navigation of the device along a given path. This method is a generalised version of a 'semi-global nonlinear output regulation' introduced for single-input single-output (SISO) systems. Finally, the proposed scheme is examined for an iron particle moving in a fluidic environment. The simulation results show fast decay in deviation of the particle position from the reference path under some assumptions. This shows that the proposed scheme can be offered for medical applications.

In this paper we study quantum communication channels with correlated noise effects, i.e., quantum channels with memory. We derive a model for correlated noise channels that includes a channel memory state. We examine the case where the memory is finite, and derive bounds on the classical and quantum capacities. For the entanglement-assisted and unassisted classical capacities it is shown that these bounds are attainable for certain classes of channel. Also, we show that the structure of any finite-memory state is unimportant in the asymptotic limit, and specifically, for a perfect finite-memory channel where no information is lost to the environment, achieving the upper bound implies that the channel is asymptotically noiseless.

This paper investigates the system achievable rate for the multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system with an energy harvesting (EH) relay. Firstly we propose two protocols, time switching-based decode-and-forward relaying (TSDFR) and a flexible power splitting-based DF relaying (PSDFR) protocol by considering two practical receiver architectures, to enable the simultaneous information processing and energy harvesting at the relay. In PSDFR protocol, we introduce a temporal parameter to describe the time division pattern between the two phases which makes the protocol more flexible and general. In order to explore the system performance limit, we discuss the system achievable rate theoretically and formulate two optimization problems for the proposed protocols to maximize the system achievable rate. Since the problems are non-convex and difficult to solve, we first analyze them theoretically and get some explicit results, then design an augmented Lagrangian penalty function (ALPF) based algorithm for them. Numerical results are provided to validate the accuracy of our analytical results and the effectiveness of the proposed ALPF algorithm. It is shown that, PSDFR outperforms TSDFR to achieve higher achievable rate in such a MIMO-OFDM relaying system. Besides, we also investigate the impacts of the relay location, the number of antennas and the number of subcarriers on the system performance. Specifically, it is shown that, the relay position greatly affects the system performance of both protocols, and relatively worse achievable rate is achieved when the relay is placed in the middle of the source and the destination. This is different from the MIMO-OFDM DF relaying system without EH. Moreover, the optimal factor which indicates the time division pattern between the two phases in the PSDFR protocol is always above 0.8, which means that, the common division of the total transmission time into two equal phases in

Single-channel kinetics has proven a powerful tool to reveal information about the gating mechanisms that control the opening and closing of ion channels. This introductory review focuses on the gating of large conductance Ca2+- and voltage-activated K+ (BK or Slo1) channels at the single-channel level. It starts with single-channel current records and progresses to presentation and analysis of single-channel data and the development of gating mechanisms in terms of discrete state Markov (DSM) models. The DSM models are formulated in terms of the tetrameric modular structure of BK channels, consisting of a central transmembrane pore-gate domain (PGD) attached to four surrounding transmembrane voltage sensing domains (VSD) and a large intracellular cytosolic domain (CTD), also referred to as the gating ring. The modular structure and data analysis shows that the Ca2+ and voltage dependent gating considered separately can each be approximated by 10-state two-tiered models with five closed states on the upper tier and five open states on the lower tier. The modular structure and joint Ca2+ and voltage dependent gating are consistent with a 50 state two-tiered model with 25 closed states on the upper tier and 25 open states on the lower tier. Adding an additional tier of brief closed (flicker states) to the 10-state or 50-state models improved the description of the gating. For fixed experimental conditions a channel would gate in only a subset of the potential number of states. The detected number of states and the correlations between adjacent interval durations are consistent with the tiered models. The examined models can account for the single-channel kinetics and the bursting behavior of gating. Ca2+ and voltage activate BK channels by predominantly increasing the effective opening rate of the channel with a smaller decrease in the effective closing rate. Ca2+ and depolarization thus activate by mainly destabilizing the closed states. PMID:25653620

The geomorphology of Mars is discussed, focusing on the Martian channels. The great flood channels of Mars, the processes of channel erosion, and dendritic channel networks, are examined. The topography of the Channeled Scabland region of the northwestern U.S. is described and compared to the Martian channels. The importance of water in the evolution of the channel systems is considered.

In the present study, heat-shock protein of M(r) 70 kDa (HSP70), a marker of cellular stress response, was validated as a potential biomarker under field conditions. The dab, Limanda limanda (female, size > or = 25 cm, spawning maturity stage 2) was used as the indicator organism. The data on HSP level were correlated with the occurrence of DNA damage, measured in the same specimens of L. limanda, to prove the usefulness of the method. The area under investigation was the North Sea. Four locations were selected: station N01, close to Heligoland, in the North Sea; station N04 at the Dogger Bank; station N06 at the Firth of Forth; and station G08 in the English Channel. Ten animals from each location were selected and their livers used for the experiments. The results show that the highest levels of HSP70 (consisting of two forms of M(r) 75 and 73 kDa) were in fish from station N04, while low values were measured in livers from L. limanda collected at station N01. Intermediate levels were seen in the animals from the two other locations. By application of a novel technique, it was found that the extent of DNA damage (single-strand breaks and alkaline labile sites) in fish liver parallels the levels of both HSP70 forms. Our results suggest that L. limanda may be a useful bioindicator and heat-shock proteins, a useful biomarker for monitoring of environmental pollution. PMID:11285726

In this example (figure 1) the channels form a 'starburst' pattern, radiating out into feathery extensions. The center of the pattern is being buried with dust and new darker dust fans ring the outer edges. This may be an example of an expanding morphology, where new channels are formed as the older ones fill and are no longer efficiently channeling the subliming gas out.

Observation Geometry Image PSP_003443_0980 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 21-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at -81.8 degrees latitude, 76.2 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 247.1 km (154.4 miles). At this distance the image scale is 24.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects 74 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 04:52 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 71 degrees, thus the sun was about 19 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 223.4 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.

Müssbauer spectroscopy is a powerful tool for quantitative mineralogical analysis of Fe bearing materials. The miniature Müssbauer spectrometer MIMOS II [1] is a component of the Athena science payload on board of the two Mars Exploration Rovers currently working on the Martian surface. Both MIMOS instruments are still operational after 6 years of mission with a total integration time over 1 year. The MER mission has proven that Müssbauer spectroscopy is a valuable technique for the in situ exploration of extraterrestrial bodies and the study of Fe-bearing samples [2,3]. Currently MIMOS II is part of scientific payload of the "Phobos-Grunt"-Russian sample return mission to Phobos, one of the moons of Mars. Originally, "Phobos-Grunt" was scheduled to launch in October 2009, but the launch was delayed to 2011 for additional testing of the spacecraft and payload to ensure mission success. Mission goals are: (i) Sample return. for Laboratory analysis of Phobos surface material delivered to Earth; (ii) In situ and remote studies of Phobos surface including analysis of soil samples; (3) Exploration of Phobos and its ambient space from an orbiter. MIMOS II is mounted on the robotic arm (on the landing module). Scientific objectives are: (i) Identification of iron-bearing phases (e.g., oxides, silicates, sulfides, sulfates, and carbonates); (ii) Quantitative measurement of the distribution of iron among those phases; (iii) Quantitative measurement of the distribution of iron among its oxidation states. The Müssbauer spectrometer for "Phobos-Grunt" is based on the MER version [1] with some modifications and improvements. A number of improvements were made to ensure optimal instrument performance at low temperatures (down to -150 C). Acknowledgments: Funded by German Space Agency DLR under contract 50 QM 0703. Support by the Russian Space Agency is acknowledged. References: [1] Klingelhoefer et al., JGR. 108(E12) (2003), [2] Morris et al., JGR111 (2006), [3] Morris et al

Field testing and scientific investigations were conducted on the Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii, as part of the 2012 Moon and Mars Analog Mission Activities (MMAMA). Measurements were conducted using both stand-alone and rover-mounted instruments to determine the geophysical and geochemical properties of the field site, as well as provide operational constraints and science considerations for future robotic and human missions [1]. Reported here are the results from the two MIMOS instruments deployed as part of this planetary analog field test.

The miniaturized Moessbauer spectrometer MIMOS II is an off-the-shelf instrument with proven flight heritage. It has been successfully deployed during NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission and was on-board the UK-led Beagle 2 Mars lander and the Russian Phobos-Grunt sample return mission. A Moessbauer spectrometer has been suggested for ASTEX, a DLR Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) mission study, and the potential payload to be hosted by the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). Here we make the case for in situ asteroid characterization with Moessbauer spectroscopy on the ARM employing one of three available fully-qualified flight-spare Moessbauer instruments.

Multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) scheme can extend the transmission capacity for the light-emitting-diode (LED) based visible light communication (VLC) systems. The MIMO VLC system that uses the mobile-phone camera as the optical receiver (Rx) to receive MIMO signal from the n×n Red-Green-Blue (RGB) LED array is desirable. The key step of decoding this signal is to detect the signal direction. If the LED transmitter (Tx) is rotated, the Rx may not realize the rotation and transmission error can occur. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a novel hierarchical transmission scheme which can reduce the computation complexity of rotation detection in LED array VLC system. We use the n×n RGB LED array as the MIMO Tx. In our study, a novel two dimensional Hadamard coding scheme is proposed. Using the different LED color layers to indicate the rotation, a low complexity rotation detection method can be used for improving the quality of received signal. The detection correction rate is above 95% in the indoor usage distance. Experimental results confirm the feasibility of the proposed scheme.

This review proceeds from Luna Leopold's and Ronald Shreve's lasting accomplishments dealing with the study of random-walk and topologically random channel networks. According to the random perspective, which has had a profound influence on the interpretation of natural landforms, nature's resiliency in producing recurrent networks and landforms was interpreted to be the consequence of chance. In fact, central to models of topologically random networks is the assumption of equal likelihood of any tree-like configuration. However, a general framework of analysis exists that argues that all possible network configurations draining a fixed area are not necessarily equally likely. Rather, a probability P(s) is assigned to a particular spanning tree configuration, say s, which can be generally assumed to obey a Boltzmann distribution: P(s) % e^-H(s)/T, where T is a parameter and H(s) is a global property of the network configuration s related to energetic characters, i.e. its Hamiltonian. One extreme case is the random topology model where all trees are equally likely, i.e. the limit case for T6 4 . The other extreme case is T 6 0, and this corresponds to network configurations that tend to minimize their total energy dissipation to improve their likelihood. Networks obtained in this manner are termed optimal channel networks (OCNs). Observational evidence suggests that the characters of real river networks are reproduced extremely well by OCNs. Scaling properties of energy and entropy of OCNs suggest that large network development is likely to effectively occur at zero temperature (i.e. minimizing its Hamiltonian). We suggest a corollary of dynamic accessibility of a network configuration and speculate towards a thermodynamics of critical self-organization. We thus conclude that both chance and necessity are equally important ingredients for the dynamic origin of channel networks---and perhaps of the geometry of nature.

Continued advancements in steel and concrete materials as well as improved computer-optimized designs are resulting in more efficient floor structures, which have longer spans and are more lightweight. In addition, there is a tendency for offices to be more open-plan with fewer internal partitions. These structures possess low and closely spaced natural frequencies, sometimes falling within the range of frequencies produced by human activities, as well as low damping levels. Vibration serviceability problems are thus arising more frequently than before. The tendency for developers to require floor structures suitable for a variety of types of occupation so as to increase their economic viability also has clear ramifications for their vibration serviceability. Active vibration control (AVC) is emerging as a viable technology for mitigation of human-induced vibrations in problem floors. Past AVC research work, as demonstrated in analytical studies and successfully implemented in field trials, have focused predominantly on collocated sensor and actuator pairs in SISO or multi-SISO direct-output feedback schemes, for example, direct velocity feedback (DVF). This paper demonstrates the potential benefits that may be derived from using model-based control approaches, for example, in isolating and controlling specific problematic frequencies only. The approaches investigated here comprise of independent modal space control (IMSC) and pole-placement controllers that are implemented in SISO, SIMO, and MIMO control structures. Both the analytical and experimental studies presented are based on a laboratory structure. Attenuations in target modes of vibration ranged between 15.0-27.0 dB in the analytical studies and experimental implementation for all the controllers studied. Further, both analytical studies and experimental implementation yielded a 70-89 % reduction in acceleration responses from two different walking frequencies.

Millimeter-wave MIMO systems have gained increasing traction towards the goal of meeting the high data-rate requirements in next-generation wireless systems. The focus of this work is on low-complexity beamforming approaches for initial UE discovery in such systems. Towards this goal, we first note the structure of the optimal beamformer with per-antenna gain and phase control and the structure of good beamformers with per-antenna phase-only control. Learning these beamforming structures in mmW systems is fraught with considerable complexities such as the need for a non-broadcast system design, the sensitivity of the beamformer approximants to small path length changes, etc. To overcome these issues, we establish a physical interpretation between these beamformer structures and the angles of departure/arrival of the dominant path(s). This physical interpretation provides a theoretical underpinning to the emerging interest on directional beamforming approaches that are less sensitive to small path length changes. While classical approaches for direction learning such as MUSIC have been well-understood, they suffer from many practical difficulties in a mmW context such as a non-broadcast system design and high computational complexity. A simpler broadcast solution for mmW systems is the adaptation of directional codebooks for beamforming at the two ends. We establish fundamental limits for the best beam broadening codebooks and propose a construction motivated by a virtual subarray architecture that is within a couple of dB of the best tradeoff curve at all useful beam broadening factors. We finally provide the received SNR loss-UE discovery latency tradeoff with the proposed constructions. Our results show that users with a reasonable link margin can be quickly discovered by the proposed design with a smooth roll-off in performance as the link margin deteriorates.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) engages countermeasures against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) by funding several scientific programs on threat awareness, countermeasures IEDs or land-mine detection, in which this work is only one of numerous projects. The program, denoted as Surveillance in an urban environment using mobile sensors (SUM), covers the idea of equipping one or more vehicles of a patrol or a convoy with a set of sensors exploiting different physical principles in order to gain detailed insights of the road situation ahead. In order to give an added value to a conventional visual camera system, measurement data from an infra-red (IR) camera, a radiometer and a millimetre-wave radar are fused with data from an optical image and are displayed on a human-machine-interface (HMI) which shall assist the vehicle's co-driver to identify suspect objects or persons on or next to the road without forcing the vehicle to stop its cruise. This paper shall especially cover the role of the millimetre-wave radar sensor and its different operational modes. Measurement results are discussed. It is possible to alter the antenna mechanically which gives two choices for a field of view and angular resolution trade-off. Furthermore a synthetic aperture radar mode is possible and has been tested successfully. MIMO radar principles like orthogonal signal design were exploited tofrom a virtual array by 4 transmitters and 4 receivers. In joint evaluation, it was possible to detect e.g. grenade shells under cardboard boxes or covered metal barrels which were invisible for optical or infra-red detection.

Through-wall-radar imaging is of interest for mapping the wall layout of buildings and for the detection of stationary targets within buildings. In this paper, we present an easy single-side two-location spotlight imaging method for both wall layout mapping and stationary target detection by utilizing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) through-wall-radar. Rather than imaging for building walls directly, the images of all building corners are generated to speculate wall layout indirectly by successively deploying the MIMO through-wall-radar at two appropriate locations on only one side of the building and then carrying out spotlight imaging with two different squint-views. In addition to the ease of implementation, the single-side two-location squint-view detection also has two other advantages for stationary target imaging. The first one is the fewer multi-path ghosts, and the second one is the smaller region of side-lobe interferences from the corner images in comparison to the wall images. Based on Computer Simulation Technology (CST) electromagnetic simulation software, we provide multiple sets of validation results where multiple binary panorama images with clear images of all corners and stationary targets are obtained by combining two single-location images with the use of incoherent additive fusion and two-dimensional cell-averaging constant-false-alarm-rate (2D CA-CFAR) detection. PMID:27618039

The thermal characteristics of ebullient cooling systems for VHSIC and VLSI microelectronic component thermal control are studied by experimentally and analytically investigating boiling heat transfer from a pair of flat, closely spaced, isoflux plates immersed in saturated water. A theoretical model for liquid flow rate through the channel is developed and used as a basis for correlating the rate of heat transfer from the channel walls. Experimental results for wall temperature as a function of axial location, heat flux, and plate spacing are presented. The finding that the wall superheat at constant imposed heat flux decreases as the channel is narrowed is explained with the aid of a boiling thermosiphon analysis which yields the mass flux through the channel.

Interest in custom digital correlator processors is growing, in both the radio astronomy and earth sensing communities, as scientists realize that VLSI technology is available to them. This paper presents three digital correlator projects currently underway at the NASA SERC for VLSI Systems Design. The projects are as follows: a 60MHz chip for the ESTAR satellite; a 100MHz, 1024 channel autocorrelator; and a 64 MHz, VLSI system consisting of 8 32- channel complex crosscorrelators including phase rotators.

Long periodic transport channels are frequently used in accelerator complexes and suggested for using in high-energy ERLs for electron-hadron colliders. Without proper chromaticity compensation, such transport channels exhibit high sensitivity to the random orbit errors causing significant emittance growth. Such emittance growth can come from both the correlated and the uncorrelated energy spread. In this paper we present results of our theoretical and numerical studies of such effects and develop a criteria for acceptable chromaticity in such channels.

The Moessbauer (MB) spectrometers on the MER rovers Opportunity and Spirit, which landed on Mars in January 2004, have identified the iron-containing mineral hematite (a-Fe2O3) at both landing sites. On Earth, hematite can occur either by itself or with other iron oxides as massive deposits, in veins , and as particles dispersed through a silicate or other matrix material. Hematite particle size can range from nanophase (superparamagnetic) to multidomain and particle shape ranges from equant to acicular to platy. Fine-grained hematite is red in color and is a pigmenting agent. Coarse-grained hematite can be spectrally neutral (gray) at visible wavelengths. Substitutional impurities, particularly Al, are common in hematite. Chemically pure, coarse-grained, and well-crystalline hematite has a magnetic transition (the Morin transition) at 260 K. Moessbauer spectra, recorded as a function of temperature, provide a way to characterize Martian hematite with respect to some of the physical and chemical characteristics. At Meridiani Planum besides the iron-sulfate mineral jarosite also the Fe-oxide hematite has been identified by the Moessbauer spectrometer, mainly in three distinct types of reservoir: - outcrop matrix material dominated by the mineral jarosite in the MB spectrum, certain basaltic soils, and mm-sized spherules dubbed blueberries. Moessbauer spectra of each reservoir yield a distinct set of hyperfine parameters for hematite, suggesting different degrees of crystallinity and particle size. The hematite found by MB instrument MIMOS II in the outcrop material shows the Morin transition at relatively high temperatures (ca. 250 K) which is an indication of pure and well-crystallized hematite. The source of the hematite in the Blueberries as identified by Moessbauer spectroscopy, and also by MiniTES, is not known. These spherules, covering nearly the whole landing site area (Eagle crater, plains, Endurance crater), may be concretions formed in the outcrop

The OFDM-PON and SCFDM-PON based on powerful digital signal processing (DSP) are promising candidates for next-generation optical access networks. Recently polarization-division-multiplexing (PDM) transmission with direct detection has been proposed for OFDM-PON to effectively reduce the bandwidth requirement of optical and electrical components. However, the PDM scheme has high algorithm complexity. In this paper, we propose a polarization interleaving (PI) approach, which can significantly reduce the bandwidth requirement for components while achieving a similar 2×2 MIMO algorithm with coherently-detected PDM-OFDM scheme. Downstream PI-SCFDM transmission is experimentally demonstrated. The scheme can be easily extended to OFDM-PON.

Many data analysis treatments of positron experiments attempt to resolve two or more positron decay or exist channels which may be open simultaneously. Examples of the need to employ such treatments of the experimental results can be found in the resolution of the constituents of a defect ensemble, or in the analysis of the complex spectra which arise from the interaction of slow positrons at or near the surfaces of solids. Experimental one- and two-dimensional angular correlation of annihilation radiation experiments in Al single crystals have shown that two defect species (mono- and divacancies) can be resolved under suitable conditions. Recent experiments at LLNL indicate that there are a variety of complex exit channels open to positrons interacting at surfaces, and ultimely these decay channels must also be suitably resolved from one another. 6 refs., 4 figs.

We generalize the asymptotic capacity expression for very noisy communication channels to now include coloured noise. For the practical scenario of a non-optimal receiver, we consider the common case of a correlation receiver. Due to the central limit theorem and the cumulative characteristic of a correlation receiver, we model this channel noise as additive Gaussian noise. Then, the channel capacity proves to be directly related to the Fisher information of the noise distribution and the weak signal energy. The conditions for occurrence of a noise-enhanced capacity effect are discussed, and the capacity difference between this noisy communication channel and other nonlinear channels is clarified.

We generalize the asymptotic capacity expression for very noisy communication channels to now include coloured noise. For the practical scenario of a non-optimal receiver, we consider the common case of a correlation receiver. Due to the central limit theorem and the cumulative characteristic of a correlation receiver, we model this channel noise as additive Gaussian noise. Then, the channel capacity proves to be directly related to the Fisher information of the noise distribution and the weak signal energy. The conditions for occurrence of a noise-enhanced capacity effect are discussed, and the capacity difference between this noisy communication channel and other nonlinear channels is clarified. PMID:27306041

We generalize the asymptotic capacity expression for very noisy communication channels to now include coloured noise. For the practical scenario of a non-optimal receiver, we consider the common case of a correlation receiver. Due to the central limit theorem and the cumulative characteristic of a correlation receiver, we model this channel noise as additive Gaussian noise. Then, the channel capacity proves to be directly related to the Fisher information of the noise distribution and the weak signal energy. The conditions for occurrence of a noise-enhanced capacity effect are discussed, and the capacity difference between this noisy communication channel and other nonlinear channels is clarified. PMID:27306041

The Moessbauer (MB) spectrometers on the MER rovers Opportunity and Spirit, which landed on Mars in January 2004, have identified the iron-containing mineral hematite (a-Fe2O3) at both landing sites. On Earth, hematite can occur either by itself or with other iron oxides as massive deposits, in veins , and as particles dispersed through a silicate or other matrix material. Hematite particle size can range from nanophase (superparamagnetic) to multidomain and particle shape ranges from equant to acicular to platy. Fine-grained hematite is red in color and is a pigmenting agent. Coarse-grained hematite can be spectrally neutral (gray) at visible wavelengths. Substitutional impurities, particularly Al, are common in hematite. Chemically pure, coarse-grained, and well-crystalline hematite has a magnetic transition (the Morin transition) at ~260 K. Moessbauer spectra, recorded as a function of temperature, provide a way to characterize Martian hematite with respect to some of the physical and chemical characteristics. At Meridiani Planum besides the iron-sulfate mineral jarosite also the Fe-oxide hematite has been identified by the Moessbauer spectrometer, mainly in three distinct types of reservoir: - outcrop matrix material dominated by the mineral jarosite in the MB spectrum, certain basaltic soils, and mm-sized spherules dubbed blueberries. Moessbauer spectra of each reservoir yield a distinct set of hyperfine parameters for hematite, suggesting different degrees of crystallinity and particle size. The hematite found by MB instrument MIMOS II in the outcrop material shows the Morin transition at relatively high temperatures (ca. 250 K) which is an indication of pure and well-crystallized hematite. The source of the hematite in the `Blueberries' as identified by Moessbauer spectroscopy, and also by MiniTES, is not known. These spherules, covering nearly the whole landing site area (Eagle crater, plains, Endurance crater), may be concretions formed in the outcrop

Interference alignment (IA) is a promising technique that allows high-capacity gains in interference channels, but which requires the knowledge of the channel state information (CSI) for all the system links. We design low-complexity and low-bit rate feedback strategies where a quantized version of some CSI parameters is fed back from the user terminal (UT) to the base station (BS), which shares it with the other BSs through a limited-capacity backhaul network. This information is then used by BSs to perform the overall IA design. With the proposed strategies, we only need to send part of the CSI information, and this can even be sent only once for a set of data blocks transmitted over time-varying channels. These strategies are applied to iterative MMSE-based IA techniques for the downlink of broadband wireless OFDM systems with limited feedback. A new robust iterative IA technique, where channel quantization errors are taken into account in IA design, is also proposed and evaluated. With our proposed strategies, we need a small number of quantization bits to transmit and share the CSI, when comparing with the techniques used in previous works, while allowing performance close to the one obtained with perfect channel knowledge. PMID:24678274

Interference alignment (IA) is a promising technique that allows high-capacity gains in interference channels, but which requires the knowledge of the channel state information (CSI) for all the system links. We design low-complexity and low-bit rate feedback strategies where a quantized version of some CSI parameters is fed back from the user terminal (UT) to the base station (BS), which shares it with the other BSs through a limited-capacity backhaul network. This information is then used by BSs to perform the overall IA design. With the proposed strategies, we only need to send part of the CSI information, and this can even be sent only once for a set of data blocks transmitted over time-varying channels. These strategies are applied to iterative MMSE-based IA techniques for the downlink of broadband wireless OFDM systems with limited feedback. A new robust iterative IA technique, where channel quantization errors are taken into account in IA design, is also proposed and evaluated. With our proposed strategies, we need a small number of quantization bits to transmit and share the CSI, when comparing with the techniques used in previous works, while allowing performance close to the one obtained with perfect channel knowledge. PMID:24678274

A miscomparison between a channel's configuration data base and a voted system configuration data base in a redundant channel system having identically operating, frame synchronous channels triggers autoequalization of the channel's historical signal data bases in a hierarchical, chronological manner with that of a correctly operating channel. After equalization, symmetrization of the channel's configuration data base with that of the system permits upgrading of the previously degraded channel to full redundancy. An externally provided equalization command, e.g., manually actuated, can also trigger equalization.

Wireless communication using electromagnetic wave carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) has attracted increasing interest in recent years, and its potential to increase channel capacity has been explored widely. In this paper, we compare the technique of using uniform linear array consist of circular traveling-wave OAM antennas for multiplexing with the conventional multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) communication method, and numerical results show that the OAM based MIMO system can increase channel capacity while communication distance is long enough. An equivalent model is proposed to illustrate that the OAM multiplexing system is equivalent to a conventional MIMO system with a larger element spacing, which means OAM waves could decrease the spatial correlation of MIMOchannel. In addition, the effects of some system parameters, such as OAM state interval and element spacing, on the capacity advantage of OAM based MIMO are also investigated. Our results reveal that OAM waves are complementary with MIMO method. OAM waves multiplexing is suitable for long-distance line-of-sight (LoS) communications or communications in open area where the multi-path effect is weak and can be used in massive MIMO systems as well. PMID:27146453

Wireless communication using electromagnetic wave carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) has attracted increasing interest in recent years, and its potential to increase channel capacity has been explored widely. In this paper, we compare the technique of using uniform linear array consist of circular traveling-wave OAM antennas for multiplexing with the conventional multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) communication method, and numerical results show that the OAM based MIMO system can increase channel capacity while communication distance is long enough. An equivalent model is proposed to illustrate that the OAM multiplexing system is equivalent to a conventional MIMO system with a larger element spacing, which means OAM waves could decrease the spatial correlation of MIMOchannel. In addition, the effects of some system parameters, such as OAM state interval and element spacing, on the capacity advantage of OAM based MIMO are also investigated. Our results reveal that OAM waves are complementary with MIMO method. OAM waves multiplexing is suitable for long-distance line-of-sight (LoS) communications or communications in open area where the multi-path effect is weak and can be used in massive MIMO systems as well.

Wireless communication using electromagnetic wave carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) has attracted increasing interest in recent years, and its potential to increase channel capacity has been explored widely. In this paper, we compare the technique of using uniform linear array consist of circular traveling-wave OAM antennas for multiplexing with the conventional multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) communication method, and numerical results show that the OAM based MIMO system can increase channel capacity while communication distance is long enough. An equivalent model is proposed to illustrate that the OAM multiplexing system is equivalent to a conventional MIMO system with a larger element spacing, which means OAM waves could decrease the spatial correlation of MIMOchannel. In addition, the effects of some system parameters, such as OAM state interval and element spacing, on the capacity advantage of OAM based MIMO are also investigated. Our results reveal that OAM waves are complementary with MIMO method. OAM waves multiplexing is suitable for long-distance line-of-sight (LoS) communications or communications in open area where the multi-path effect is weak and can be used in massive MIMO systems as well. PMID:27146453

A method, system, and apparatus for installing channel nuts includes a shank, a handle formed on a first end of a shank, and an end piece with a threaded shaft configured to receive a channel nut formed on the second end of the shaft. The tool can be used to insert or remove a channel nut in a channel framing system and then removed from the channel nut.

The Miniaturised Mössbauer Spectrometers MIMOS II on board the two NASA Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) have now collected valuable scientific data for more than ten years [1-4]. This mission has demonstrated that Mössbauer spectroscopy is extremely valuable for the in situ exploration of extraterrestrial bodies and the study of Fe-bearing samples. A MIMOS instrument was also on the scientific payload of the Russian mission Phobos Grunt [5]. The instrument MIMOS IIA originally developed for the ESA ExoMars mission (now 2018) will use newly de-signed Si-Drift detectors with circular geometry (SDD) [6,7] allowing high resolution X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy simultaneously to Mössbauer measurements. The new design of the improved MIMOS II instrument is reduced in total mass (less than 400 g). The sensorhead of MIMOS IIA will be equipped with a ring of Silicon Drift Detectors (SDD) optimized for the backscatter geometry of the miniaturized Mössbauer spectrometer. The main goal of the new detector system design was to combine high energy resolution at high counting rates and large detector area while making maximum use of the area close to the collimator of the 57Co Mössbauer source. The active area per SDD segment is 2x45 mm2. The energy resolution at 5.9 keV is < 280 eV at room temperature and 131 eV FWHM at -40oC. This performance will increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and reduce the integration time of Mössbauer measurement by a factor of up to 10. In addition to the Mössbauer analysis simultaneous acquisition of the X-ray fluorescence spectrum will provide data on the sample's elemental composition [7]. Preliminary studies at room temperature and normal pressure show detection of X-rays down to ~1 keV. A new control- and readout electronics for MIMOS IIA allows spectra acquisition at highest possible countrates available at about 360 mm2 total detector area. A prototype of MIMOS IIA has been tested successfully during a field test at Mauna Kea

Supplying protocells with ions required assistance from channels spanning their membrane walls. The earliest channels were most likely short proteins that formed transmembrane helical bundles surrounding a water-filled pore. These simple aggregates were capable of transporting ions with efficiencies comparable to those of complex, contemporary ion channels. Channels with wide pores exhibited little ion selectivity but also imposed only modest constraints on amino acid sequences of channel-forming proteins. Channels with small pores could have been selective but also might have required a more precisely defined sequence of amino acids. In contrast to modern channels, their protocellular ancestors had only limited capabilities to regulate ion flux. It is postulated that subsequent evolution of ion channels progressed primarily to acquire precise regulation, and not high efficiency or selectivity. It is further proposed that channels and the surrounding membranes co-evolved.

A new channel structure for microfluidic systems and process for fabricating this structure. In contrast to the conventional practice of fabricating fluid channels as trenches or grooves in a substrate, fluid channels are fabricated as thin walled raised structures on a substrate. Microfluidic devices produced in accordance with the invention are a hybrid assembly generally consisting of three layers: 1) a substrate that can or cannot be an electrical insulator; 2) a middle layer, that is an electrically conducting material and preferably silicon, forms the channel walls whose height defines the channel height, joined to and extending from the substrate; and 3) a top layer, joined to the top of the channels, that forms a cover for the channels. The channels can be defined by photolithographic techniques and are produced by etching away the material around the channel walls.

Gramicidin channels are miniproteins in which two tryptophan-rich subunits associate by means of transbilayer dimerization to form the conducting channels. That is, in contrast to other ion channels, gramicidin channels do not open and close; they appear and disappear. Each subunit in the bilayer-spanning channel is tied to the bilayer/solution interface through hydrogen bonds that involve the indole NH groups as donors andwater or the phospholipid backbone as acceptors. The channel's permeability characteristics are well-defined: gramicidin channels are selective for monovalent cations, with no measurable permeability to anions or polyvalent cations; ions and water move through a pore whose wall is formed by the peptide backbone; and the single-channel conductance and cation selectivity vary when the amino acid sequence is varied, even though the permeating ions make no contact with the amino acid side chains. Given the plethora of available experimental information—for not only the wild-type channels but also for channels formed by amino acid-substituted gramicidin analogues—gramicidin channels continue to provide important insights into the microphysics of ion permeation through bilayer-spanning channels. For similar reasons, gramicidin channels constitute a system of choice for evaluating computational strategies for obtaining mechanistic insights into ion permeation through the more complex channels formed by integral membrane proteins.

Understanding the characteristics of a quantum systems when affected by noise is one of the biggest challenges for quantum technologies. The general Pauli error channel is an important lossless channel for quantum communication. In this work we consider the effects of a Pauli channel on a pure four-qubit state and simulate the Pauli channel experimentally by studying the action on polarization encoded entangled photons. When the noise channel acting on the photons is correlated, a set spanned by four orthogonal bound entangled states can be generated. We study this interesting case experimentally and demonstrate that products of Bell states can be brought into a bound entangled regime. We find states in the set of bound entangled states which experimentally violate the CHSH inequality while still possessing a positive partial transpose. PMID:23752651

This invention relates to high frequency (HF) radio signal propagation through fading channels and, more particularly, to simulation of fading channels in order to characterize HF radio system performance in transmitting and receiving signals through such fading channels. Fading channel effects on a transmitted communication signal are simulated with both frequency and time variations using a channel scattering function to affect the transmitted signal. A conventional channel scattering function is converted to a series of channel realizations by multiplying the square root of the channel scattering function by a complex number of which the real and imaginary parts are each independent variables. The two-dimensional inverse-FFT of this complex-valued channel realization yields a matrix of channel coefficients that provide a complete frequency-time description of the channel. The transmitted radio signal is segmented to provide a series of transmitted signal and each segment is subject to FFT to generate a series of signal coefficient matrices. The channel coefficient matrices and signal coefficient matrices are then multiplied and subjected to inverse-FFT to output a signal representing the received affected radio signal. A variety of channel scattering functions can be used to characterize the response of a transmitter-receiver system to such atmospheric effects.

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002580.htm Calcium channel blocker overdose To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Calcium channel blockers are a type of medicine used ...

The most successful aquaculture enterprise in the U.S. is channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus production. In the U.S., 257 million kg of channel catfish were sold in 2007 at a value of $455 million. Large-scale commercial channel catfish culture began in the late 1950s and expanded rapidly from 1978...

Flow and heat transfer in a curved channel of aspect ratio 6 and inner- to outer-wall radius ratio 0.96 were studied. Secondary currents and large longitudinal vortices were found. The heat-transfer rates of the outer and inner walls were independently controlled to maintain a constant wall temperature. Heating the inner wall increased the pressure drop along the channel length, whereas heating the outer wall had little effect. Outer-wall heat transfer was as much as 40 percent greater than the straight-channelcorrelation, and inner-wall heat transfer was 22 percent greater than the straight-channelcorrelation.

The Miniaturised Müssbauer Spectrometers MIMOS II on board the two NASA Mars Explo-o ration Rovers (MER) have now collected valuable scientific data for more than six years [1-4]. This mission has demonstrated that Müss-bauer spectroscopy is extremely valuable for the in situ exploration of extraterrestrial bodies and the study of Fe-bearing samples. A MIMOS instrument is also on the scientific payload of the Russian mission Phobos Grunt sched-uled for 2011 [5]. The instrument MIMOS IIA originally developed for the ESA ExoMars mission (now 2018) will use newly designed Si-Drift detectors with circular geometry (SDD) [6,7] allowing high resolution X-ray fluores-cence spectroscopy simultaneously to Müssbauer measurements. The new design of the improved MIMOS II instrument is reduced in total mass (less than 400 g). The sensorhead of MIMOS IIA will be equipped with a ring of Silicon Drift Detectors (SDD) optimized for the backscatter geometry of the miniaturized Müssbauer spectrometer. The main goal of the new detector system design was to combine high energy resolution at high counting rates and large detector area while making maximum use of the area close to the collimator of the 57Co Müssbauer source. The active area per SDD segment is 2x45 mm2. The energy resolution at 5.9 keV is ¡ 280 eV at room temperature and 131 eV FWHM at -40oC. This performance will increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and reduce the integration time of Müssbauer measurement by a factor of up to 10. In addition to the Müssbauer analysis simultaneous acquisition of the X-ray fluorescence spectrum will provide data on the sample's elemental composition [7]. Preliminary studies at room temperature and normal pressure show detec-tion of X-rays down to 1 keV. A new control-and readout electronics for MIMOS IIA allows spectra acquisition at highest possible countrates available at about 360 mm2 total detector area. This is possible due to digital pulse shap-ing and pulsed JFET reset

The classical capacity of quantum channels is well understood for channels with uncorrelated noise. For the case of correlated noise, however, there are still open questions. We calculate the classical capacity of a forgetful channel constructed by Markov switching between two depolarizing channels. Techniques have previously been applied to approximate the output entropy of this channel and thus its capacity. In this paper, we use a Metropolis-Hastings Monte Carlo approach to numerically calculate the entropy. The algorithm is implemented in parallel and its performance is studied and optimized. The effects of memory on the capacity are explored and previous results are confirmed to higher precision. PMID:26565361

Bacterial ion channels were known, but only in special cases, such as outer membrane porins in Escherichia coli and bacterial toxins that form pores in their target (bacterial or mammalian) membranes. The exhaustive coverage provided by a decade of bacterial genome sequencing has revealed that ion channels are actually widespread in bacteria, with homologs of a broad range of mammalian channel proteins coded throughout the bacterial and archaeal kingdoms. This review discusses four groups of bacterial channels: porins, mechano-sensitive (MS) channels, channel-forming toxins, and bacterial homologs of mammalian channels. The outer membrane (OM) of gram-negative bacteria blocks access of essential nutrients; to survive, the cell needs to provide a mechanism for nutrients to penetrate the OM. Porin channels provide this access by forming large, nonspecific aqueous pores in the OM that allow ions and vital nutrients to cross it and enter the periplasm. MS channels act as emergency release valves, allowing solutes to rapidly exit the cytoplasm and to dissipate the large osmotic disparity between the internal and external environments. MS channels are remarkable in that they do this by responding to forces exerted by the membrane itself. Some bacteria produce toxic proteins that form pores in trans, attacking and killing other organisms by virtue of their pore formation. The review focuses on those bacterial toxins that kill other bacteria, specifically the class of proteins called colicins. Colicins reveal the dangers of channel formation in the plasma membrane, since they kill their targets with exactly that approach. PMID:26443789

Mechanotransduction, the conversion of physical forces into biochemical signals, is essential for various physiological processes such as the conscious sensations of touch and hearing, and the unconscious sensation of blood flow. Mechanically activated (MA) ion channels have been proposed as sensors of physical force, but the identity of these channels and an understanding of how mechanical force is transduced has remained elusive. A number of recent studies on previously known ion channels along with the identification of novel MA ion channels have greatly transformed our understanding of touch and hearing in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Here, we present an updated review of eukaryotic ion channel families that have been implicated in mechanotransduction processes and evaluate the qualifications of the candidate genes according to specified criteria. We then discuss the proposed gating models for MA ion channels and highlight recent structural studies of mechanosensitive potassium channels. PMID:26402601

Many computer simulation programs have been used to interpret experiments almost since the first channeling measurements were made. Certain aspects of these programs are important in how accurately they simulate ions in crystals; among these are the manner in which the structure of the crystal is incorporated, how any quantity of interest is computed, what ion-atom potential is used, how deflections are computed from the potential, incorporation of thermal vibrations of the lattice atoms, correlations of thermal vibrations, and form of stopping power. Other aspects of the programs are included to improve the speed; among these are table lookup, importance sampling, and the multiparameter method. It is desirable for programs to facilitate incorporation of special features of interest in special situations; examples are relaxations and enhanced vibrations of surface atoms, easy substitution of an alternate potential for comparison, change of row directions from layer to layer in strained-layer lattices, and different vibration amplitudes for substitutional solute or impurity atoms. Ways of implementing all of these aspects and features and the consequences of them will be discussed. 30 refs., 3 figs.

This paper proposes a statistical beamforming approach to mitigate interference in multi-cell massive multiple-input multiple-output systems. The proposed approach projects the signal subspace onto the null space of the interference to form the weight vector with the statistical channel state information. In contrast to the existing methods which only utilize the partial null space of the interference, the proposed approach can collect more signal when mitigating the interference. In addition, the large system analysis demonstrates that the interference is eliminated with uniform rectangular arrays. Numerical results show that the proposed approach can achieve higher sum rate than the existing methods and verify the performance analysis.

In this paper, we proposed a 2×2 imaging Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO)-Visible Light Communication (VLC) system by employing Space Balanced Coding (SBC) based on two RGB LEDs and integrated PIN array reception. We experimentally demonstrated 1.4-Gbit/s VLC transmission at a distance of 2.5 m. The proposed imaging system not only overcomes the limitation of bandwidth existing in LEDs, but also can reject the second-order nonlinearity distortion. It turned out to be very promising to use integrated antennas in the VLC system in the future.

The fact that correlation does not imply causation is well known. Correlation between variables at two sites does not imply that the two sites directly interact, because, e.g., correlation between distant sites may be induced by chaining of correlation between a set of intervening, directly interacting sites. Such "noncausal correlation" is well understood in statistical physics: an example is long-range order in spin systems, where spins which have only short-range direct interactions, e.g., the Ising model, display correlation at a distance. It is less well recognized that such long-range "noncausal" correlations can in fact be stronger than the magnitude of any causal correlation induced by direct interactions. We call this phenomenon superadditive correlation (SAC). We demonstrate this counterintuitive phenomenon by explicit examples in (i) a model spin system and (ii) a model continuous variable system, where both models are such that two variables have multiple intervening pathways of indirect interaction. We apply the technique known as decimation to explain SAC as an additive, constructive interference phenomenon between the multiple pathways of indirect interaction. We also explain the effect using a definition of the collective mode describing the intervening spin variables. Finally, we show that the SAC effect is mirrored in information theory, and is true for mutual information measures in addition to correlation measures. Generic complex systems typically exhibit multiple pathways of indirect interaction, making SAC a potentially widespread phenomenon. This affects, e.g., attempts to deduce interactions by examination of correlations, as well as, e.g., hierarchical approximation methods for multivariate probability distributions, which introduce parameters based on successive orders of correlation. PMID:11969452

Lattice reduction (LR)-aided detectors have been shown great potentials in wireless communications for their low complexity and low bit-error-rate (BER) performance. The LR algorithms use the unimodular transformation to improve the orthogonality of the channel matrix. However, the LR algorithms only utilize the channel state information (CSI) and do not take account for the received signal, which is also important information in enhancing the performance of the detectors. In this paper, we make a readjustment of the received signal in the LR domain and propose a new scheme which is based on the log-likelihood-ratio (LLR) criterion to improve the LR-aided detectors. The motivation of using the LLR criterion is that it utilizes both the received signal and the CSI, so that it can provide exact pairwise error probabilities (PEPs) of the symbols. Then, in the proposed scheme, we design the LLR-based transformation algorithm (TA) which uses the unimodular transformation to minimize the PEPs of the symbols by the LLR criterion. Note that the PEPs of the symbols affect the error propagation in the vertical Bell Laboratories Layered Space-Time (VBLAST) detector, and decreasing the PEPs can reduce the error propagation in the VBLAST detectors; thus, our LLR-based TA-aided VBLAST detectors will exhibit better BER performance than the previous LR-aided VBLAST detectors. Both the BER performance and the computational complexity are demonstrated through the simulation results.

Fading channel effects on a transmitted communication signal are simulated with both frequency and time variations using a channel scattering function to affect the transmitted signal. A conventional channel scattering function is converted to a series of channel realizations by multiplying the square root of the channel scattering function by a complex number of which the real and imaginary parts are each independent variables. The two-dimensional inverse-FFT of this complex-valued channel realization yields a matrix of channel coefficients that provide a complete frequency-time description of the channel. The transmitted radio signal is segmented to provide a series of transmitted signal and each segment is subject to FFT to generate a series of signal coefficient matrices. The channel coefficient matrices and signal coefficient matrices are then multiplied and subjected to inverse-FFT to output a signal representing the received affected radio signal. A variety of channel scattering functions can be used to characterize the response of a transmitter-receiver system to such atmospheric effects.

Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is a technique which enables powerful and robust non-invasive optical studies of tissue micro-circulation and vascular blood flow. The technique amounts to autocorrelation analysis of coherent photons after their migration through moving scatterers and subsequent collection by single-mode optical fibers. A primary cost driver of DCS instruments are the commercial hardware-based correlators, limiting the proliferation of multi-channel instruments for validation of perfusion analysis as a clinical diagnostic metric. We present the development of a low-cost scalable correlator enabled by microchip-based time-tagging, and a software-based multi-tau data analysis method. We will discuss the capabilities of the instrument as well as the implementation and validation of 2- and 8-channel systems built for live animal and pre-clinical settings.

This report summarizes the activities of the Washington Correlator for 2012. The Washington Correlator provides up to 80 hours of attended processing per week plus up to 40 hours of unattended operation, primarily supporting Earth Orientation and astrometric observations. In 2012, the major programs supported include the IVS-R4, IVS-INT, APSG, and CRF observing sessions.

We study jamming of low aspect-ratio cylindrical Delrin grains in a vertical channel. Grain heights are less than their diameter so the grains resemble antacid tablets, coins, or poker chips. These grains are allowed to fall through a vertical channel with a square cross section where the channel width is greater than the diameter of a grain and constant throughout the length of the channel with no obstructions or constrictions. Grains are sometimes observed to form jams, stable structures supported by the channel walls with no support beneath them. The probability of jam occurrence and the strength or robustness of a jam is effected by grain and channel sizes. We will present experimental measurements of the jamming probability and jam strength in this system and discuss the relationship of these results to other experiments and theories. Supported by an Undergraduate Research Grant from Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

Natural convection within a vertical finite length channel in free space is studied in this article to remove assumptions that need to be made on velocity and temperature profiles at the channel entrance. For small channel aspect ratios and low Rayleigh numbers, significant deviations of the Nusselt number and temperature distributions exist due to the effects of vertical thermal diffusion and free space stratification in the channel. A new correlation was proposed on induced Reynolds number for vertical finite length channel. 8 refs.

A plurality of redundant channels in a system each contain a global image of all the configuration data bases in each of the channels in the system. Each global image is updated periodically from each of the other channels via cross channel data links. The global images of the local configuration data bases in each channel are separately symmetrized using a voting process to generate a system signal configuration data base which is not written into by any other routine and is available for indicating the status of the system within each channel. Equalization may be imposed on a suspect signal and a number of chances for that signal to heal itself are provided before excluding it from future votes. Reconfiguration is accomplished upon detecting a channel which is deemed invalid. A reset function is provided which permits an externally generated reset signal to permit a previously excluded channel to be reincluded within the system. The updating of global images and/or the symmetrization process may be accomplished at substantially the same time within a synchronized time frame common to all channels.

Phosphoinositides serve as signature motifs for different cellular membranes and often are required for the function of membrane proteins. Here, we summarize clear evidence supporting the concept that many ion channels are regulated by membrane phosphoinositides. We describe tools used to test their dependence on phosphoinositides, especially phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, and consider mechanisms and biological meanings of phosphoinositide regulation of ion channels. This lipid regulation can underlie changes of channel activity and electrical excitability in response to receptors. Since different intracellular membranes have different lipid compositions, the activity of ion channels still in transit towards their final destination membrane may be suppressed until they reach an optimal lipid environment. PMID:25241941

Error-propagation is an important issue and should be carefully coped with in the decision-feedback equalizers (DFE). Ignoring the impact of error-propagation often leads to impractical laboratory results. In this paper, we investigate two novel layered space-frequency equalizers (LSFE) for single-carrier multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, where the recently proposed frequency-domain equalizer with time domain noise-predictor (FDE-NP) is adopted at each stage of the LSFE. We first derive the partially-connected LSFE with noise predictor (PC-LSFE-NP) which has exactly the same mean square error (MSE) as the conventional LSFE under the assumption of perfect feedback. However, if error-propagation is considered, the proposed PC-LSFE-NP can achieve better performance than the conventional LSFE due to the more reliable feedback output by the decoders. To reduce the interference from the not yet detected layers in the feedback section, we then introduce the fully-connected LSFE with noise predictor (FC-LSFE-NP), in which all layers are implicitly equalized within each stage and their decisions fed back internally. The powerful feedback filter of FC-LSFE-NP brings significant performance superiority over the conventional LSFE and PC-LSFE-NP with either perfect or imperfect feedback. Moreover, we propose a simple soft-demapper for the equalizers to avoid information loss during decoding, and thus, further improve the performance. Finally, we compare the performance of (PC/FC)-LSFE-NP with the existing schemes by computer simulations.

In Hawaii, the mode of lava transport - through open channels or through insulating lava tubes - determines the thermal, rheological, and emplacement history of a lava flow. Most Hawaiian lavas are erupted at near-liquidus temperatures and are therefore crystal-poor; lava transport through open channels allows rapid cooling and consequent rapid increases in lava crystallinity. Solidified aa flows resulting from channelized flow are typically fine-grained throughout their thickness, indicating cooling of the entire flow thickness during transport. In contrast, transport of lava through insulating tubes permits flow over long distances with little cooling. Flows emerging from such tubes typically have pahoehoe flow surfaces with glassy crusts. Groundmass textures that coarsen from the flow rind to the interior reflect rates of post-emplacement, rather than syn-emplacement, cooling. To distinguish eruption conditions that result in lava channels from those that allow formation of lava tubes, we have performed a series of laboratory experiments involving injection of PEG 600 (a wax with a Newtonian rheology and freezing temperature of 19ºC) into cold water through both uniform and non-uniform sloping channels. In uniform channels, tube formation can be distinguished from open channel flow using a dimensionless parameter based on a solidification time scale, an advection time scale, and a Rayleigh number that describes convection by heat loss from crust-free shear zones. Theoretical analysis predicts that in the open channel regime, the width of the crust (dc) will vary with the channel width (W) as dc = W5/3. Crustal coverage of non-uniform channels in both laboratory experiments and field examples from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, is consistent with this prediction. However, experiments in non-uniform channels illustrate additional controls on the surface coverage of lava channels. Most important is crustal extension resulting from flow acceleration through constrictions

Summary Studies of ion channels have for long been dominated by the animalcentric, if not anthropocentric view of physiology. The structures and activities of ion channels had, however, evolved long before the appearance of complex multicellular organisms on Earth. The diversity of ion channels existing in cellular membranes of prokaryotes is a good example. Though at first it may appear as a paradox that most of what we know about the structure of eukaryotic ion channels is based on the structure of bacterial channels, this should not be surprising given the evolutionary relatedness of all living organisms and suitability of microbial cells for structural studies of biological macromolecules in a laboratory environment. Genome sequences of the human as well as various microbial, plant and animal organisms unambiguously established the evolutionary links, whereas crystallographic studies of the structures of major types of ion channels published over the last decade clearly demonstrated the advantage of using microbes as experimental organisms. The purpose of this review is not only to provide an account of acquired knowledge on microbial ion channels but also to show that the study of microbes and their ion channels may also hold a key to solving unresolved molecular mysteries in the future. PMID:18923187

The cutoff parameters for a class of channel models exhibiting burst noise behavior were calculated and the performance of interleaved coding strategies was evaluated. It is concluded that, provided the channel memory is large enough and is properly exploited, interleaved coding is nearly optimal.

This full resolution radar mosaic from Magellan at 49 degrees south latitude, 273 degrees east longitude of an area with dimensions of 130 by 190 kilometers (81 by 118 miles), shows a 200 kilometer (124 mile) segment of a sinuous channel on Venus. The channel is approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) wide. These channel-like features are common on the plains of Venus. In some places they appear to have been formed by lava which may have melted or thermally eroded a path over the plains' surface. Most are 1 to 3 kilometers (0.6 to 2 miles) wide. They resemble terrestrial rivers in some respects, with meanders, cutoff oxbows, and abandoned channel segments. However, Venus channels are not as tightly sinuous as terrestrial rivers. Most are partly buried by younger lava plains, making their sources difficult to identify. A few have vast radar-dark plains units associated with them, suggesting large flow volumes. These channels appear to be older than other channel types on Venus, as they are crossed by fractures and wrinkle ridges, and are often buried by other volcanic materials. In addition, they appear to run both upslope and downslope, suggesting that the plains were warped by regional tectonism after channel formation. Resolution of the Magellan data is about 120 meters (400 feet).

Channeled spectropolarimetry can measure the complete polarization state of light as a function of wavelength. Typically, a channeled spectropolarimeter uses high order retarders made of uniaxial crystal to amplitude modulate the measured spectrum with the spectrally-dependent Stokes polarization information. A primary limitation of conventional channeled spectropolarimeters is related to the thermal variability of the retarders. Thermal variation often forces frequent system recalibration, particularly for field deployed systems. However, implementing thermally stable retarders, made of biaxial crystal, results in an athermal channeled spectropolarimeter that relieves the need for frequent recalibration. This report presents experimental results for an anthermalized channeled spectropolarimeter prototype produced using potassium titanyl phosphate. The results of this prototype are compared to the current thermal stabilization state of the art. Finally, the application of the technique to the thermal infrared is studied, and the athermalization concept is applied to an infrared imaging spectropolarimeter design.

Channeled polarimeters measure polarization by modulating the measured intensity in order to create polarization-dependent channels that can be demodulated to reveal the desired polarization information. A number of channeled systems have been described in the past, but their proposed designs often unintentionally sacrifice optimality for ease of algebraic reconstruction. To obtain more optimal systems, a generalized treatment of channeled polarimeters is required. This paper describes methods that enable handling of multi-domain modulations and reconstruction of polarization information using linear algebra. We make practical choices regarding use of either Fourier or direct channels to make these methods more immediately useful. Employing the introduced concepts to optimize existing systems often results in superficial system changes, like changing the order, orientation, thickness, or spacing of polarization elements. For the two examples we consider, we were able to reduce noise in the reconstruction to 34.1% and 57.9% of the original design values. PMID:24979633

We experimentally study jamming of cylindrical grains in a vertical channel. The grains have a low aspect-ratio (height/diameter < 1) so their shape is like antacid tablets or poker chips. They are allowed to fall through a vertical channel with a square cross section. The channel width is greater than the diameter of a grain and constant throughout the length of the channel with no obstructions or constrictions. It is observed that grains sometimes jam in this apparatus. In a jam, grains form a stable structure from one side of the channel to the other with nothing beneath them. Jams may be strong enough to support additional grains above. The probability of a jam occurring is a function of the grain height and diameter. We will present experimental measurements of the jamming probability in this system and discuss the relationship of these results to other experiments and theories.

Daily rectified video imaging data generated by the Naval Postgraduate School Imaging System (NAPSIS) between November 2004 and June 2006 are analyzed to determine the locations of rip channels and track their migration. Rip channels at a site near Monterey, California, are found to migrate northward or southward along the shoreline with speeds of up to 30 meters per day. Mean rip spacing is approximately 200 meters. To examine the relationship between rip channel migration and sediment transport, a wave refraction model is employed to transform hourly directional wave spectra from an offshore NOAA buoy to the 10 meter depth contour at several locations in southern Monterey Bay. Model output is first validated by juxtaposing it with measured spectra from two nearshore NPS buoys over a three-month period in 2002. Significant wave heights are found to have a correlation coefficient of over 0.93 at both buoy locations, while directional correlations are 0.83 and 0.34 at the mid- and south-bay buoys, respectively. As the video site is closer to the mid-bay location, these correlations are considered strong enough to validate the model's predictive ability there. Model-refracted wave data are then used to calculate sediment transport rates at the video imaging location for direct comparison with rip migration rates. For the above time period, mean rip channel migration and net sediment transport have a positive correlation of 0.81. This qualitatively confirms the hypothesis that the migration rate and migration direction of rip channels are functions of alongshore sediment transport.

Increasingly researchers are looking to bring together perspectives across multiple scales, or to combine insights from different techniques, for the same region of interest. To this end, correlative microscopy has already yielded substantial new insights in two dimensions (2D). Here we develop correlative tomography where the correlative task is somewhat more challenging because the volume of interest is typically hidden beneath the sample surface. We have threaded together x-ray computed tomography, serial section FIB-SEM tomography, electron backscatter diffraction and finally TEM elemental analysis all for the same 3D region. This has allowed observation of the competition between pitting corrosion and intergranular corrosion at multiple scales revealing the structural hierarchy, crystallography and chemistry of veiled corrosion pits in stainless steel. With automated correlative workflows and co-visualization of the multi-scale or multi-modal datasets the technique promises to provide insights across biological, geological and materials science that are impossible using either individual or multiple uncorrelated techniques.

Increasingly researchers are looking to bring together perspectives across multiple scales, or to combine insights from different techniques, for the same region of interest. To this end, correlative microscopy has already yielded substantial new insights in two dimensions (2D). Here we develop correlative tomography where the correlative task is somewhat more challenging because the volume of interest is typically hidden beneath the sample surface. We have threaded together x-ray computed tomography, serial section FIB-SEM tomography, electron backscatter diffraction and finally TEM elemental analysis all for the same 3D region. This has allowed observation of the competition between pitting corrosion and intergranular corrosion at multiple scales revealing the structural hierarchy, crystallography and chemistry of veiled corrosion pits in stainless steel. With automated correlative workflows and co-visualization of the multi-scale or multi-modal datasets the technique promises to provide insights across biological, geological and materials science that are impossible using either individual or multiple uncorrelated techniques. PMID:24736640

Increasingly researchers are looking to bring together perspectives across multiple scales, or to combine insights from different techniques, for the same region of interest. To this end, correlative microscopy has already yielded substantial new insights in two dimensions (2D). Here we develop correlative tomography where the correlative task is somewhat more challenging because the volume of interest is typically hidden beneath the sample surface. We have threaded together x-ray computed tomography, serial section FIB-SEM tomography, electron backscatter diffraction and finally TEM elemental analysis all for the same 3D region. This has allowed observation of the competition between pitting corrosion and intergranular corrosion at multiple scales revealing the structural hierarchy, crystallography and chemistry of veiled corrosion pits in stainless steel. With automated correlative workflows and co-visualization of the multi-scale or multi-modal datasets the technique promises to provide insights across biological, geological and materials science that are impossible using either individual or multiple uncorrelated techniques. PMID:24736640

A multichannel analyzer incorporating the features of the present invention obtains the effect of fractional channels thus greatly reducing the number of actual channels necessary to record complex line spectra. This is accomplished by using an analog-to-digital converter in the asynchronous mode, i.e., the gate pulse from the pulse height-to-pulse width converter is not synchronized with the signal from a clock oscillator. This saves power and reduces the number of components required on the board to achieve the effect of radically expanding the number of channels without changing the circuit board. 9 figs.

A multichannel analyzer incorporating the features of the present invention obtains the effect of fractional channels thus greatly reducing the number of actual channels necessary to record complex line spectra. This is accomplished by using an analog-to-digital converter in the asynscronous mode, i.e., the gate pulse from the pulse height-to-pulse width converter is not synchronized with the signal from a clock oscillator. This saves power and reduces the number of components required on the board to achieve the effect of radically expanding the number of channels without changing the circuit board.

The deployment of channel coding and interleaving to enhance the bit-error performance of a satellite mobile radio channel is addressed for speech and data transmissions. Different convolutional codes (CC) using Viterbi decoding with soft decision are examined with interblock interleaving. Reed-Solomon (RS) codes with Berlekamp-Massey hard decision decoding or soft decision trellis decoding combined with block interleaving are also investigated. A concatenated arrangement employing RS and CC coding as the outer and inner coders, respectively, is used for transmissions via minimum shift keying over Gaussian and Rayleigh fading channels. For an interblock interleaving period of 2880 bits, a concatenated arrangement of an RS(48,36), over the Galois field GF(256) and punctured PCC(3,1,7) yielding an overall coding rate of 1/2, provides a coding gain of 42dB for a BER of 10 to the -6th, and an uncorrectable error detection probability of 1 - 10 to the -9th.

Profiles of the aerosol extinction measurements from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II are compared with profiles from five correlative experiments between November 1984 and July 1986. The correlative profiles were derived from six-channel dustsonde measurements and two-wavelength lidar backscatter data. The correlation between the dustsonde- and lidar-derived measurements and the SAGE II data is good, validating the SAGE II lower stratospheric aerosol extinction measurements.

Potassium (K+) channels contribute to the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis and are also involved in tumor generation and malignant growth. Using immunohistochemical analysis, we investigated the expression of four K+ channels GIRK1 (G-Protein Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel 1), Ca2+-activated K channel (K Ca 1.1), voltage activated K+ channels (KV 1.1 and KV 1.3) and of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 in normal and cancerous breast tissues and compared their expression with clinicopathological data. GIRK1 was overexpressed in carcinomatous tissues. In contrast, K V 1.1 and K V 1.3 were less expressed in cancerous tissue. The expression of Bcl-2 was similar in both tissues. As to the clinicopathological data, a correlation between K Ca 1.1 channel and estrogen receptor (ER) expression was observed. GIRK1 was overexpressed in breast carcinoma suggesting its involvement in proliferation and oncogenesis and its possible use as a putative pharmaceutical target. The correlation between K Ca 1.1 channel and ER suggests the involvement of this channel in proliferation. The loss of expression of the two channels K V 1.1 and K V 1.3 may correspond to their role in apoptosis. PMID:18498071

Transformer transmits power and digital data across rotating interface. Array has many parallel data channels, each with potential l megabaud data rate. Ferrite-cored transformers are spaced along rotor; airgap between them reduces crosstalk.

Describes a simple water channel, for use with an overhead projector. It is run from a water tap and may be used for flow visualization experiments, including the effect of streamlining and elementary building aerodynamics. (MLH)

To date, a range of ion channels have been identified in chondrocytes using a number of different techniques, predominantly electrophysiological and/or biomolecular; each of these has its advantages and disadvantages. Here we aim to compare and contrast the data available from biophysical and microarray experiments. This letter analyses recent transcriptomics datasets from chondrocytes, accessible from the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). We discuss whether such bioinformatic analysis of microarray datasets can potentially accelerate identification and discovery of ion channels in chondrocytes. The ion channels which appear most frequently across these microarray datasets are discussed, along with their possible functions. We discuss whether functional or protein data exist which support the microarray data. A microarray experiment comparing gene expression in osteoarthritis and healthy cartilage is also discussed and we verify the differential expression of 2 of these genes, namely the genes encoding large calcium-activated potassium (BK) and aquaporin channels. PMID:23995703

The transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a large family of proteins with six main subfamilies termed the TRPC (canonical), TRPV (vanilloid), TRPM (melastatin), TRPP (polycystin), TRPML (mucolipin), and TRPA (ankyrin) groups. The sheer number of different TRPs with distinct functions supports the statement that these channels are involved in a wide range of processes ranging from sensing of thermal and chemical signals to reloading intracellular stores after responding to an extracellular stimulus. Mutations in TRPs are linked to pathophysiology and specific diseases. An understanding of the role of TRPs in normal physiology is just beginning; the progression from mutations in TRPs to pathophysiology and disease will follow. In this review, we focus on two distinct aspects of TRP channel physiology, the role of TRP channels in intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, and their role in the transduction of painful stimuli in sensory neurons. PMID:18193640

Voltage-gated proton channels are integral membrane proteins with the capacity to permeate elementary particles in a voltage and pH dependent manner. These proteins have been found in several species and are involved in various physiological processes. Although their primary topology is known, lack of details regarding their structures in the open conformation has limited analyses toward a deeper understanding of the molecular determinants of their function and regulation. Consequently, the function-structure relationships have been inferred based on homology models. In the present work, we review the existing proton channel models, their assumptions, predictions and the experimental facts that support them. Modeling proton channels is not a trivial task due to the lack of a close homolog template. Hence, there are important differences between published models. This work attempts to critically review existing proton channel models toward the aim of contributing to a better understanding of the structural features of these proteins. PMID:24755912

14 November 2004 The Kasei Valles are a suite of very large, ancient outflow channels. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of the youngest channel system in the Kasei Valles. Torrents of mud, rocks, and water carved this channel as flow was constricted through a narrow portion of the valley. Layers exposed by the erosion that created the channel can be seen in its walls. This 1.4 meters (5 feet) per pixel image is located near 21.1oN, 72.6oW. The picture covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.

Ion channels in epithelial cells serve to move ions, and in some cases fluid, between compartments of the body. This function of the transfer of material is fundamentally different from that of the transfer of information, which is the main job of most channels in excitable cells. Nevertheless the basic construction of the channels is similar in many respects in the two tissue types. This chapter reviews the nature of channels in epithelia and discusses how their functions have evolved to accomplish the basic tasks for which they are responsible. I will focus on three channel types: epithelial Na+ channels, inward-rectifier K+ channels, and CFTR Cl- channels.

A multi-carrier chaotic shift keying(MC-CSK) communication scheme with low probability of interception(LPI) is proposed in this article. We apply chaotic spreading sequences in the frequency domain, mapping a different chip of a chaotic sequence to an individual orthogonal frequency division multiplexing(OFDM) subcarrier. In each block size of M OFDM symbols, we use one pilot OFDM symbol inserted time-spaced in all-frequency to transmit the reference chaotic signal and use the other M-1 OFDM symbols to transmit the information-bearing signals each spreaded by the reference chaotic signal. At the receiver, we construct a differential detector after DFT and recover the information bits from the correlations between the pilot OFDM symbol and the other M-1 OFDM symbols in each block size of M. Performance analysis and computer simulations show that the MC-CSK outperforms differential chaos shift keying(DCSK) in AWGN channels with high bandwidth efficiency for the block size of M=2 and that the MC-CSK exploits effectively the frequent diversity of the multipath channel.

A multi-carrier chaotic shift keying(MC-CSK) communication scheme with low probability of interception(LPI) is proposed in this article. We apply chaotic spreading sequences in the frequency domain, mapping a different chip of a chaotic sequence to an individual orthogonal frequency division multiplexing(OFDM) subcarrier. In each block size of $M$ OFDM symbols, we use one pilot OFDM symbol inserted time-spaced in all-frequency to transmit the reference chaotic signal and use the other M-1 OFDM symbols to transmit the information-bearing signals each spreaded by the reference chaotic signal. At the receiver, we construct a differential detector after DFT and recover the information bits from the correlations between the pilot OFDM symbol and the other M-1 OFDM symbols in each block size of M. Performance analysis and computer simulations show that the MC-CSK outperforms differential chaos shift keying(DCSK) in AWGN channels with high bandwidth efficiency for the block size of M=2 and that the MC-CSK exploits effectively the frequent diversity of the multipath channel.

The main task of an energy calibration is to find a relation between pulse-height values and the corresponding energies. Doing this for each pulse-height channel individually requires an elaborated input spectrum with an excellent counting statistics and a sophisticated data analysis. This work presents an easy to handle energy calibration process which can operate reliably on calibration measurements with low counting statistics. The method uses a parameter based model for the energy calibration and concludes on the optimal parameters of the model by finding the best correlation between the measured pulse-height spectrum and multiple synthetic pulse-height spectra which are constructed with different sets of calibration parameters. A CdTe-based semiconductor detector and the line emissions of an 241Am source were used to test the performance of the correlation method in terms of systematic calibration errors for different counting statistics. Up to energies of 60 keV systematic errors were measured to be less than ~ 0.1 keV. Energy calibration via correlation can be applied to any kind of calibration spectra and shows a robust behavior at low counting statistics. It enables a fast and accurate calibration that can be used to monitor the spectroscopic properties of a detector system in near realtime.

Vascular remodeling of cerebral arterioles, including proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), is the major cause of changes in the cross-sectional area and diameter of the arteries and sudden interruption of blood flow or hemorrhage in the brain, ie, stroke. Accumulating evidence strongly supports an important role for chloride (Cl−) channels in vascular remodeling and stroke. At least three Cl− channel genes are expressed in VSMCs: 1) the TMEM16A (or Ano1), which may encode the calcium-activated Cl− channels (CACCs); 2) the CLC-3 Cl− channel and Cl−/H+ antiporter, which is closely related to the volume-regulated Cl− channels (VRCCs); and 3) the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which encodes the PKA- and PKC-activated Cl− channels. Activation of the CACCs by agonist-induced increase in intracellular Ca2+ causes membrane depolarization, vasoconstriction, and inhibition of VSMC proliferation. Activation of VRCCs by cell volume increase or membrane stretch promotes the production of reactive oxygen species, induces proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of VSMCs. Activation of CFTR inhibits oxidative stress and may prevent the development of hypertension. In addition, Cl− current mediated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor has also been implicated a role in ischemic neuron death. This review focuses on the functional roles of Cl− channels in the development of stroke and provides a perspective on the future directions for research and the potential to develop Cl− channels as new targets for the prevention and treatment of stroke. PMID:23103617

The properties of guided waves which propagate between two parallel fractures are examined. Plane wave analysis is used to obtain a dispersion equation for the velocities of fracture channel waves. Analysis of this equation demonstrates that parallel fractures form an elastic waveguide that supports two symmetric and two antisymmetric dispersive Rayleigh channel waves, each with particle motions and velocities that are sensitive to the normal and tangential stiffnesses of the fractures. These fracture channel waves degenerate to shear waves when the fracture stiffnesses are large, to Rayleigh waves and Rayleigh-Lamb plate waves when the fracture stiffnesses are low, and to fracture interface waves when the fractures are either very closely spaced or widely separated. For intermediate fracture stiffnesses typical of fractured rock masses, fracture channel waves are dispersive and exhibit moderate to strong localization of guided wave energy between the fractures. The existence of these waves is examined using laboratory acoustic measurements on a fractured marble plate. This experiment confirms the distinct particle motion of the fundamental antisymmetric fracture channel wave (A{sub 0} mode) and demonstrates the ease with which a fracture channel wave can be generated and detected. {copyright} 1999 American Geophysical Union

All cells, including microbes, detect and respond to mechanical forces, of which osmotic pressure is most ancient and universal. Channel proteins have evolved such that they can be directly stretched open when the membrane is under turgor pressure. Osmotic downshock, as in rain, opens bacterial mechanosensitive (MS) channels to jettison osmolytes, relieving pressure and preventing cell lysis. The ion flux through individual channel proteins can be observed directly with a patch clamp. MS channels of large and small conductance (MscL and MscS, respectively) have been cloned, crystallized, and subjected to biophysical and genetic analyses in depth. They are now models to scrutinize how membrane forces direct protein conformational changes. Eukaryotic microbes have homologs from animal sensory channels of the TRP superfamily. The MS channel in yeast is also directly sensitive to membrane stretch. This review examines the key concept that proteins embedded in the lipid bilayer can respond to the changes in the mechanical environment the lipid bilayer provides. PMID:20825352

Floodplain chute channel formation is a key process that can enable rivers to transition from single-thread to multi-thread planform geometries. Floodplain chute channels are usually incisional channels connecting topographic lows across point bars and in the floodplain. Surprisingly, it is still not clear what conditions promote chute channel formation and what governs their morphodynamic behavior. Towards this end we have initiated an empirical and theoretical study of floodplain chute channels in Indiana, USA. Using elevation models and satellite imagery we mapped 3064 km2 of floodplain in Indiana, and find that 37.3% of mapped floodplains in Indiana have extensive chute channel networks. These chute channel networks consist of two types of channel segments: meander cutoffs of the main channel and chute channels linking the cutoffs together. To understand how these chute channels link meander cutoffs together and eventually create floodplain channel networks we use Delft3D to explore floodplain morphodynamics. Our first modeling experiment starts from a generic floodplain prepopulated with meander cutoffs to test under what conditions chute channels form.We find that chute channel formation is optimized at an intermediate flood discharge. If the flood discharge is too large the meander cutoffs erosively diffuse, whereas if the floodwave is too small the cutoffs fill with sediment. A moderately sized floodwave reworks the sediment surrounding the topographic lows, enhancing the development of floodplain chute channels. Our second modeling experiments explore how floodplain chute channels evolve on the West Fork of the White River, Indiana, USA. We find that the floodplain chute channels are capable of conveying the entire 10 yr floodwave (Q=1330m3/s) leaving the inter-channel areas dry. Moreover, the chute channels can incise into the floodplain while the margins of channels are aggrading, creating levees. Our results suggest that under the right conditions

Excellent data sources may not answer all pertinent questions and multifold seismic data usually cannot resolve internal characteristics of channel fills, even when it can detect the channel. Well log correlations can be wrong, especially when dealing with thin channel fills and outcrops are seldom sufficiently large to reveal a complete channel fill. In the final analysis, integration of all these types of data is necessary. Although not well understood, a lot of similarities exist between the channel fills from submarine fans and those from deltas. It is definitely beneficial to compare data from both environments. Channels and their fills can be: (1) primarily the result of major erosion forming an incisement that becomes gradually filled; (2) primarily the result of deposition, maintaining a channel, gradually filling it and simultaneously building its levees; (3) massive fill; (4) a bedded fill with or without an upward and/or lateral thinning or fining; or (5) a combination of thick bedded and thin bedded. Many channels alternate between erosional and depositional activities. Often an erosional cut is lined with shale, reducing fluid flow between channel sandstones and those of the levees. Also, a thorough knowledge of all of these varied processes is essential for the understanding of why [open quotes]massive[close quotes] channel fills can be wet and [open quotes]thin-bedded levees[close quotes] deposits oil prone.

In recent years correlative microscopy, combining the power and advantages of different imaging system, e.g., light, electrons, X-ray, NMR, etc., has become an important tool for biomedical research. Among all the possible combinations of techniques, light and electron microscopy, have made an especially big step forward and are being implemented in more and more research labs. Electron microscopy profits from the high spatial resolution, the direct recognition of the cellular ultrastructure and identification of the organelles. It, however, has two severe limitations: the restricted field of view and the fact that no live imaging can be done. On the other hand light microscopy has the advantage of live imaging, following a fluorescently tagged molecule in real time and at lower magnifications the large field of view facilitates the identification and location of sparse individual cells in a large context, e.g., tissue. The combination of these two imaging techniques appears to be a valuable approach to dissect biological events at a submicrometer level. Light microscopy can be used to follow a labelled protein of interest, or a visible organelle such as mitochondria, in time, then the sample is fixed and the exactly same region is investigated by electron microscopy. The time resolution is dependent on the speed of penetration and fixation when chemical fixatives are used and on the reaction time of the operator for cryo-fixation. Light microscopy can also be used to identify cells of interest, e.g., a special cell type in tissue or cells that have been modified by either transfections or RNAi, in a large population of non-modified cells. A further application is to find fluorescence labels in cells on a large section to reduce searching time in the electron microscope. Multiple fluorescence labelling of a series of sections can be correlated with the ultrastructure of the individual sections to get 3D information of the distribution of the marked proteins: array

A correlation spectrometer can detect a large number of gaseous compounds, or chemical species, with a species-specific mask wheel. In this mode, the spectrometer is optimized for the direct measurement of individual target compounds. Additionally, the spectrometer can measure the transmission spectrum from a given sample of gas. In this mode, infrared light is passed through a gas sample and the infrared transmission signature of the gasses present is recorded and measured using Hadamard encoding techniques. The spectrometer can detect the transmission or emission spectra in any system where multiple species are present in a generally known volume.

The aim of this work is to investigate argon flow behaviors through the channels with three types of boundary conditions. Current work deals with numerical simulations of rarefied gas flow through nano-channels using the Molecular Dynamics method. Taking into account that this method is very time consuming, we implemented all the simulations using CUDA capable graphic cards. We found that the well-known and relatively simple Maxwell model of boundary conditions is able to reproduce gas flow through a tungsten channel with irregularities and roughness, while it results in a significant error in the case of a smooth metal surface. We further found that the flow rate through a relatively short channelcorrelates nonlinearly with the channel's length. This finding is in contrast with the results available in extant literature. Our results are important for both numerical and theoretical analyses of rarefied gas flow in micro- and nano-systems where the choice of boundary conditions significantly influences flow. PMID:23528809

Braided rivers are complex systems in which a network of ephemeral, interacting channels continually migrate to create a rapidly changing landscape. We present results of a set of ~ 1m-scale experiments of braided rivers forming over a bed of monodisperse glass beads. The experiments evolve from an initial flat bed, allowing us to study the approach to a steady state, with data in the form of repeat high-resolution topography scans. We find that, although channels migrate rapidly, they have stable, self-similar geometries organized to a critical Shields stress criterion. Above the individual channel scale, we find that we can directly describe many aspects of the system with a diffusional framework. The timescale to equilibrium slope, the timescale of decorrelation of the channel network, the rate at which downstream correlation lengthscales increase, and the dependence of the equilibrium slope on sediment flux can all be described with diffusivities that are consistent with a theoretical prediction. The emergent picture of our braided river system is one in which sediment transport drives the interaction of dynamic but equilibrium channels, which in turn act as elements of randomness that create diffusive behavior at the system scale.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) comprise a new class of devices that include various forms of sensors and actuators. Recent studies have shown that microscale cantilever structures are able to detect a wide range of chemicals, biomolecules or even single bacterial cells. In this approach, cantilever deflection replaces optical fluorescence detection thereby eliminating complex chemical tagging steps that are difficult to achieve with chip-based architectures. A key challenge to utilizing this new detection scheme is the incorporation of functionalized MEMS structures within complex microfluidic channel architectures. The ability to accomplish this integration is currently limited by the processing approaches used to seal lids on pre-etched microfluidic channels. This report describes Sandia's first construction of MEMS instrumented microfluidic chips, which were fabricated by combining our leading capabilities in MEMS processing with our low-temperature photolithographic method for fabricating microfluidic channels. We have explored in-situ cantilevers and other similar passive MEMS devices as a new approach to directly sense fluid transport, and have successfully monitored local flow rates and viscosities within microfluidic channels. Actuated MEMS structures have also been incorporated into microfluidic channels, and the electrical requirements for actuation in liquids have been quantified with an elegant theory. Electrostatic actuation in water has been accomplished, and a novel technique for monitoring local electrical conductivities has been invented.

Since cloning and characterizing the first nociceptive ion channel Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), other TRP channels involved in nociception have been cloned and characterized, which include TRP Vanilloid 2 (TRPV2), TRP Vanilloid 3 (TRPV3), TRP Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), TRP Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) and TRP Melastatin 8 (TRPM8), more recently TRP Canonical 1, 5, 6 (TRPC1, 5, 6), TRP Melastatin 2 (TRPM2) and TRP Melastatin 3 (TRPM3). These channels are predominantly expressed in C and Aδ nociceptors and transmit noxious thermal, mechanical and chemical sensitivities. TRP channels are modulated by pro-inflammatory mediators, neuropeptides and cytokines. Significant advances have been made targeting these receptors either by antagonists or agonists to treat painful conditions. In this review, we will discuss TRP channels as targets for next generation analgesics and the side effects that may ensue as a result of blocking/activating these receptors, because they are also involved in physiological functions such as release of vasoactive neuropeptides and regulation of vascular tone, maintenance of the body temperature, gastrointestinal motility, urinary bladder control etc. PMID:22910182

The classical sampling theorem, attributed to Whittaker, Shannon, Nyquist, and Kotelnikov, states that a bandlimited function can be recovered from its samples, as long as we use a sufficiently dense sampling grid. Here, we review the recent development of an operator sampling theory which allows for a "widening" of the classical sampling theorem. In this realm, bandlimited functions are replaced by "bandlimited operators". that is, by pseudodifferential operators which have bandlimited Kohn-Nirenberg symbols. Similar to the Nyquist sampling density condition alluded to above, we discuss sufficient and necessary conditions on the bandlimitation of pseudodifferential operators to ensure that they can be recovered by their action on a single distribution. In fact, we show that an operator with Kohn-Nirenberg symbol bandlimited to a Jordan domain of measure less than one can be recovered through its action on a distribution defined on a appropriately chosen sampling grid. Further, an operator with bandlimitation to a Jordan domain of measure larger than one cannot be recovered through its action on any tempered distribution whatsoever, pointing towards a fundamental difference to the classical sampling theorem where a large bandwidth could always be compensated through a sufficiently fine sampling grid. The dichotomy depending on the size of the bandlimitation is related to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Further, we discuss an application of this theory to the channel measurement problem for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) channels.

We present a generally applicable experimental method for the direct measurement of nascent spin-orbit state distributions of atomic photofragments based on the detection of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV)-excited autoionizing-Rydberg (VUV-EAR) states. The incorporation of this VUV-EAR method in the application of the newly established VUV-VUV laser velocity-map-imaging-photoion (VMI-PI) apparatus has made possible the branching ratio measurement for correlated spin-orbit state resolved product channels, CO(ã{sup 3}Π; v) + O({sup 3}P{sub 0,1,2}) and CO(Χ{sup ~1}Σ{sup +}; v) + O({sup 3}P{sub 0,1,2}), formed by VUV photoexcitation of CO{sub 2} to the 4s(1{sub 0}{sup 1}) Rydberg state at 97,955.7 cm{sup −1}. The total kinetic energy release (TKER) spectra obtained from the O{sup +} VMI-PI images of O({sup 3}P{sub 0,1,2}) reveal the formation of correlated CO(ã{sup 3}Π; v = 0–2) with well-resolved v = 0–2 vibrational bands. This observation shows that the dissociation of CO{sub 2} to form the spin-allowed CO(ã{sup 3}Π; v = 0–2) + O({sup 3}P{sub 0,1,2}) channel has no potential energy barrier. The TKER spectra for the spin-forbidden CO(Χ{sup ~1}Σ{sup +}; v) + O({sup 3}P{sub 0,1,2}) channel were found to exhibit broad profiles, indicative of the formation of a broad range of rovibrational states of CO(Χ{sup ~1}Σ{sup +}) with significant vibrational populations for v = 18–26. While the VMI-PI images for the CO(ã{sup 3}Π; v = 0–2) + O({sup 3}P{sub 0,1,2}) channel are anisotropic, indicating that the predissociation of CO{sub 2} 4s(1{sub 0}{sup 1}) occurs via a near linear configuration in a time scale shorter than the rotational period, the angular distributions for the CO(Χ{sup ~1}Σ{sup +}; v) + O({sup 3}P{sub 0,1,2}) channel are close to isotropic, revealing a slower predissociation process, which possibly occurs on a triplet surface via an intersystem crossing mechanism.

Itch is a unique sensation associated with the scratch reflex. Although the scratch reflex plays a protective role in daily life by removing irritants, chronic itch remains a clinical challenge. Despite urgent clinical need, itch has received relatively little research attention and its mechanisms have remained poorly understood until recently. The goal of the present review is to summarize our current understanding of the mechanisms of acute as well as chronic itch and classifications of the primary itch populations in relationship to transient receptor potential (Trp) channels, which play pivotal roles in multiple somatosensations. The convergent involvement of Trp channels in diverse itch signaling pathways suggests that Trp channels may serve as promising targets for chronic itch treatments. PMID:26385480

For a unital completely positive map {Φ} ("quantum channel") governing the time propagation of a quantum system, the Stinespring representation gives an enlarged system evolving unitarily. We argue that the Stinespring representations of each power {Φ^m} of the single map together encode the structure of the original quantum channel and provide an interaction-dependent model for the bath. The same bath model gives a "classical limit" at infinite time {mto∞} in the form of a noncommutative "manifold" determined by the channel. In this way, a simplified analysis of the system can be performed by making the large-m approximation. These constructions are based on a noncommutative generalization of Berezin quantization. The latter is shown to involve very fundamental aspects of quantum-information theory, which are thereby put in a completely new light.

This invention is a channel plate that facilitates data compaction in DNA sequencing. The channel plate has a length, a width and a thickness, and further has a plurality of channels that are parallel. Each channel has a depth partially through the thickness of the channel plate. Additionally an interface edge permits electrical communication across an interface through a buffer to a deposition membrane surface. 15 figs.

This invention is a channel plate that facilitates data compaction in DNA sequencing. The channel plate has a length, a width and a thickness, and further has a plurality of channels that are parallel. Each channel has a depth partially through the thickness of the channel plate. Additionally an interface edge permits electrical communication across an interface through a buffer to a deposition membrane surface.

A simple relation is established for the evolution equation of quantum-information-processing protocols such as quantum teleportation, remote state preparation, Bell-inequality violation, and particularly the dynamics of geometric quantum correlation measures. This relation shows that when the system traverses the local quantum channel, various figures of merit of the quantum correlations for different protocols demonstrate a factorization decay behavior for dynamics. We identified the family of quantum states for different kinds of quantum channels under the action of which the relation holds. This relation simplifies the assessment of many quantum tasks.

Shields, used for protection against radiation, are often pierced with vacuum channels for passing cables and other instruments for measurements. The neutron transmission through these shields is an unavoidable phenomenon. In this work we study and discuss the effect of channels on neutron transmission through shields. We consider an infinite homogeneous slab, with a fixed thickness (20 lambda, with lambda the mean free path of the neutron in the slab), which contains a vacuum channel. This slab is irradiated with an infinite source of neutrons on the left side and on the other side (right side) many detectors with windows equal to 2 lambda are placed in order to evaluate the neutron transmission probabilities (Khanouchi, A., Aboubekr, A., Ghassoun, J. and Jehouani, A. (1994) Rencontre Nationale des Jeunes Chercheurs en Physique. Casa Blanca Maroc; Khanouchi, A., Sabir, A., Ghassoun, J. and Jehouani, A. (1995) Premier Congré International des Intéractions Rayonnements Matière. Eljadida Maroc). The neutron history within the slab is simulated by the Monte Carlo method (Booth, T. E. and Hendricks, J. S. (1994) Nuclear Technology 5) and using the exponential biasing technique in order to improve the Monte Carlo calculation (Levitt, L. B. (1968) Nuclear Science and Engineering 31, 500-504; Jehouani, A., Ghassoun, J. and Aboubker, A. (1994) In Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Radiation Physics, Rabat, Morocco). Then different geometries of the vacuum channel have been studied. For each geometry we have determined the detector response and calculated the neutron transmission probability for different detector positions. This neutron transmission probability presents a peak for the detectors placed in front of the vacuum channel. This study allowed us to clearly identify the neutron channeling phenomenon. One application of our study is to detect vacuum defects in materials. PMID:9463884

Synthetic zeolites contain microscopic channels, sort of like a sponge. They have many uses, such as helping laundry detergent lather, absorbing liquid in kitty litter, and as catalysts to produce fuel. Of the hundreds of types of zeolites, only about 15 are used for catalysis. PNNL catalysis scientists Ilke Arslan and Mirek Derewinksi are studying these zeolites to understand what make them special. By exploring the mystery of these microscopic channels, their fundamental findings will help design better catalysts for applications such as biofuel production.

6 May 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of a deep channel formed on the northern flank of the large volcano, Ascraeus Mons. Layers of volcanic rock are exposed in the channel walls, and the dark dots on the valley floor are boulders derived from erosion of these materials. The picture occurs near 14.5oN, 102.8oW, and is illuminated from the lower left. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across.

The development and utilisation of water resources for irrigation, hydropower and public supply can be severely affected by sediment. Where there is a mature and well vegetated landscape, sediment problems may be relatively minor; but where slopes are steep and vegetation sparse, the yield of sediment from the catchment gives high concentrations in the rivers. In utilising these resources, for whatever purpose, an understanding of the hydraulics of alluvial channels is vital. The regime of any conveyance channel in alluvium depends on the interrelationships of sediment transport, channel resistance and bank stability. The regime concept was originally based on empirical relations obtained from observations from canal systems in the Indian subcontinent, and for many years was surrounded by a certain degree of mystique and much scepticism from academics. In more recent years the unabashed empiricism of the original method has been replaced by process-based methods, which have also served as broad confirmation of the classic regime formulae, including their extension to natural channels and meandering channels. The empirical approach to the hydraulics of alluvial channels has thus been updated by physically based formulae for sediment transport and resistance, though there remains some uncertainty about the third function to complete the definition of slope and geometry. Latest thoughts in this respect are that the channel seeks a natural optimum state. Physical modelling using scaled down representations of rivers and estuaries has been used for almost a century, but it requires the correct simulation of the relevant processes. The coming of a better understanding of the physics of sediment transport and the complexity of alluvial channel roughness leads to the conclusion that only in very restricted circumstances can scale models simulate closely the full-size condition. However, the quantification of these processes has been instrumental in the development of

Channel matrix plays a critical role in receiver design and ultimate channel performance. To fully describe the channel matrix of a few-mode fiber (FMF), we choose the generalized high-dimensional Gell-Mann matrices, an equivalent of the 2-dimensional Pauli matrices used for a single-mode fiber (SMF), as the basis for the channel matrix decomposition. The frequency dependence of channel matrix can be studied in terms of the autocorrelation function (ACF), showing how fast channel changes in frequency domain. In this paper, we derive a canonical stochastic differential equation (SDE) for the FMF channel matrix in the regime of strong coupling. With the SDE, we develop an analytical form for the ACF of FMF channel matrix, from which the channelcorrelation bandwidth is obtained. PMID:24104107

This teacher training module classifies visual channel problems into the following four main areas: visual perception, revisualization (memory), visual-motor (eye-hand coordination), and ocular-motor tasks. Specific deficits are listed under these main headings, behaviors are given to help identify the problem, and ways to improve the condition…

Vibrotactile intensity-discrimination thresholds for sinusoidal stimuli applied to the thenar eminence of the hand declined as a function of practice. However, improvement was confined to the tactile information-processing channel in which learning had occurred. Specifically, improvements in performance with training within the Pacinian-corpuscle…

Defining propaganda as "efforts by special interests to win over the public covertly by infiltrating messages into various channels of public expression ordinarily viewed as politically neutral," this book argues that propaganda has become pervasive in American life. Pointing out that the 1990s society is inundated with propaganda from numerous…

Calcium ions are Nature's most widely used signaling mechanism, mediating communication between pathways at virtually every physiological level. Ion channels are no exception, as the activities of a wide range of ion channels are intricately shaped by fluctuations in intracellular Ca2+ levels. Mirroring the importance and the breadth of Ca2+ signaling, free Ca2+ levels are tightly controlled, and a myriad of Ca2+ binding proteins transduce Ca2+ signals, each with its own nuance, comprising a constantly changing symphony of metabolic activity. The founding member of Ca2+ binding proteins is calmodulin (CaM), a small, acidic, modular protein endowed with gymnastic-like flexibility and E-F hand motifs that chelate Ca2+ ions. In this review, I will trace the history that led to the realization that CaM serves as the Ca2+-gating cue for SK channels, the experiments that revealed that CaM is an intrinsic subunit of SK channels, and itself a target of regulation. PMID:25942650

Calcium ions are Nature's most widely used signaling mechanism, mediating communication between pathways at virtually every physiological level. Ion channels are no exception, as the activities of a wide range of ion channels are intricately shaped by fluctuations in intracellular Ca(2+) levels. Mirroring the importance and the breadth of Ca(2+) signaling, free Ca(2+) levels are tightly controlled, and a myriad of Ca(2+) binding proteins transduce Ca(2+) signals, each with its own nuance, comprising a constantly changing symphony of metabolic activity. The founding member of Ca(2+) binding proteins is calmodulin (CaM), a small, acidic, modular protein endowed with gymnastic-like flexibility and E-F hand motifs that chelate Ca(2+) ions. In this review, I will trace the history that led to the realization that CaM serves as the Ca(2+)-gating cue for SK channels, the experiments that revealed that CaM is an intrinsic subunit of SK channels, and itself a target of regulation. PMID:25942650

General chemistry introduces principles such as acid-base chemistry, mixing, and precipitation that are usually demonstrated in bulk solutions. In this laboratory experiment, we describe how chemical reactions can be performed in a microfluidic channel to show advanced concepts such as laminar fluid flow and controlled precipitation. Three sets of…

Institutional communication channels need to be clear so that administrators have the information necessary to make informed decisions whenever and wherever required. The secret is to treat the arrival of information--the good, the bad, and the neutral--in essentially the same way, and always thank the person who brings the news, regardless of its…

The possibility of using channeling as a tool for high energy accelerator applications and particle physics has now been extensively investigated. Bent crystals have been used for accelerator extraction and for particle deflection. Applications as accelerating devices have been discussed but have not yet been tried. 61 refs., 1 fig.

Bent crystals have demonstrated potential for use in beam collimation. A process called channeling is when accelerated particle beams are trapped by the nuclear potentials in the atomic planes within a crystal lattice. If the crystal is bent then the particles can follow the bending angle of the crystal. There are several different effects that are observed when particles travel through a bent crystal including dechanneling, volume capture, volume reflection and channeling. With a crystal placed at the edge of a particle beam, part of the fringe of the beam can be deflected away towards a detector or beam dump, thus helping collimate the beam. There is currently FORTRAN code by Igor Yazynin that has been used to model the passage of particles through a bent crystal. Using this code, the effects mentioned were explored for beam energy that would be seen at the Facility for Advanced Accelerator Experimental Tests (FACET) at a range of crystal orientations with respect to the incoming beam. After propagating 5 meters in vacuum space past the crystal the channeled particles were observed to separate from most of the beam with some noise due to dechanneled particles. Progressively smaller bending radii, with corresponding shorter crystal lengths, were compared and it was seen that multiple scattering decreases with the length of the crystal therefore allowing for cleaner detection of the channeled particles. The input beam was then modified and only a portion of the beam sent through the crystal. With the majority of the beam not affected by the crystal, most particles were not deflected and after propagation the channeled particles were seen to be deflected approximately 5mm. After a portion of the beam travels through the crystal, the entire beam was then sent through a quadrupole magnet, which increased the separation of the channeled particles from the remainder of the beam to a distance of around 20mm. A different code, which was developed at SLAC, was used to

Korea-Japan Joint VLBI Correlator (KJJVC) is being developed by collaborating KASI (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute), Korea, and NAOJ(National Observatory of Japan), Japan. In early 2010, KJJVC will work in normal operation. In this study, we developed the software correlator which is based on VCS (VLBI Correlation Subsystem) hardware specification as the core component of KJJVC. The main specification of software correlator is 8 Gbps, 8192 output channels, and 262,144-points FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) function same as VCS. And the functional algorithm which is same as specification of VCS and arithmetic register are adopted in this software correlator. To verify the performance of developed software correlator, the correlation experiments were carried out using the spectral line and continuum sources which were observed by VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry), NAOJ. And the experimental results were compared to the output of Mitaka FX correlator by referring spectrum shape, phase rate, and fringe detection and so on. Through the experimental results, we confirmed that the correlation results of software correlator are the same as Mitaka FX correlator and verified the effectiveness of it. In future, we expect that the developed software correlator will be the possible software correlator of KVN (Korean VLBI Network) with KJJVC by introducing the correlation post-processing and modifying the user interface as like GUI (Graphic User Interface).

Experimental system demonstrates optical processing of multiple channels of binary signals. One input channel contains signal that varies with time and applied to one-dimensional acousto-optical cell. Other input channel contains two-dimensional pattern that is stationary or can vary with time and applied to magneto-optical spatial light modulator. Output is time-varying correlation or convolution of first input with one of rows in second input.

The maxianion channel is widely expressed in many cell types, where it fulfills a general physiological function as an ATP-conductive gate for cell-to-cell purinergic signaling. Establishing the molecular identity of this channel is crucial to understanding the mechanisms of regulated ATP release. A mitochondrial porin (voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC)) located in the plasma membrane has long been considered as the molecule underlying the maxianion channel activity, based upon similarities in the biophysical properties of these two channels and the purported presence of VDAC protein in the plasma membrane. We have deleted each of the three genes encoding the VDAC isoforms individually and collectively and demonstrate that maxianion channel (approximately 400 picosiemens) activity in VDAC-deficient mouse fibroblasts is unaltered. The channel activity is similar in VDAC1/VDAC3-double-deficient cells and in double-deficient cells with the VDAC2 protein depleted by RNA interference. VDAC deletion slightly down-regulated, but never abolished, the swelling-induced ATP release. The lack of correlation between VDAC protein expression and maxianion channel activity strongly argues against the long held hypothesis of plasmalemmal VDAC being the maxianion channel. PMID:16291750

Relative robustness of quantum correlations (RRoQC) of a bipartite state is firstly introduced relative to a classically correlated state. Robustness of quantum correlations (RoQC) of a bipartite state is then defined as the minimum of RRoQC of the state relative to all classically correlated ones. It is proved that as a function on quantum states, RoQC is nonnegative, lower semi-continuous and neither convex nor concave; especially, it is zero if and only if the state is classically correlated. Thus, RoQC not only quantifies the endurance of quantum correlations of a state against linear noise, but also can be used to distinguish between quantum and classically correlated states. Furthermore, the effects of local quantum channels on the robustness are explored and characterized.

The Caribbean Current flows easterly and turns mostly north as it impinges the Yucatan coast, producing a persistent northerly flow along the coast that passes between the Yucatan Peninsula and the Cozumel Island; through the Cozumel Channel. The near surface subinertial flow of the Cozumel Channel, which is 18 km wide, 50 km long and 400 m deep, and its relationship with pressure measurements at both sides of the channel, was recently examined by Chávez et. al. (2003) showing the existence of periods lasting over one month with large ageostrophic fluctuations. Five years latter, the flow velocity was measured again for a year, but at four locations around Cozumel Island, two of them 8.6 km apart in the middle of the channel, thus allowing estimations of the along the channel velocity gradients. The new measurements reveal that, as suggested by Chávez et. al. (2003), the advective nonlinearity or curvature of the current explains most of the lack in geostrophy for subinertial motions. The curvature is, at times, large enough that the geostrophic flow is in the opposite direction than the actual flow; i.e. a larger than unity Rossby number. Intensity indexes, in pressure difference as well as in velocity, that favor suprainertial variations show consistently that the periods of ageostrophic fluctuations are much richer in high frequency fluctuations than the periods of nearly geostrophic behavior. The intensity index is smaller on the eastern side of Cozumel Island remaining correlated with the other. The speculation is that small eddies or meanders ride, at times, on the Caribbean Current and produce: the ageostrophic fluctuations observed within the channel, and the intensification of high frequency fluctuations all around the island.

Little is known about the molecular composition of the O2-sensitive K+ (Ko2) channels. The possibility that these channels belong to the Shaker subfamily (Kv1) of voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) channels has been raised in pulmonary artery (PA) smooth muscle cells. Numerous findings suggest that the Ko2 channel in PC12 cells is a Kv1 channel, formed by the Kv1.2 alpha subunit. The Ko2 channel in PC12 cells is a slow-inactivating voltage-dependent K+ channel of 20 pS conductance. Other Kv channels, also expressed in PC12 cells, are not inhibited by hypoxia. Selective up-regulation by chronic hypoxia of the Kv1.2 alpha subunit expression correlates with an increase O2-sensitivity of the K+ current. Other Kv1 alpha subunit genes encoding slow-inactivating Kv channels, such as Kv1.3, Kv2.1, Kv3.1 and Kv3.2 are not modulated by chronic hypoxia. The Ko2 current in PC12 cells is blocked by 5 mM externally applied tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) and by charydbotoxin (CTX). The responses of the Kv1.2 K+ channel to hypoxia have been studied in the Xenopus oocytes and compared to those of Kv2.1, also proposed as Ko2 channel in PA smooth muscle cells. Two-electrode voltage clamp experiments show that hypoxia induces inhibition of K+ current amplitude only in oocytes injected with Kv1.2 cRNA. These data indicate that Kv1.2 K+ channels are inhibited by hypoxia. PMID:10849667

A systematic study of channeling of aluminum in the silicon crystal is reported. Depth distributions measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry are reported for 40-, 75-, and 150-keV aluminum channeled in the <100> and <110> directions of silicon. The profile dependence on alignment angle is shown for 150-keV aluminum in the <110> of silicon. Aluminum has low electronic stopping in silicon and corresponding deep channeled profiles are observed for aligned implants and deep channeling tails are observed on random implants. The maximum channeling range for 150-keV Al in <100> silicon is about 2.8 ..mu..m and is about 6.4 ..mu..m in <110> silicon. Some ions will reach the maximum channeling range even for 2/sup 0/ misalignment. Many of the deep channeling tails and ''supertails'' reported in earlier literature can be explained by the normal channeling of aluminum in silicon.

This article reviews the basics of learning channels and how specification of stimuli can help enhance verbal behavior. This article will define learning channels and the role of the ability matrix in training verbal behavior.

A fluid channeling system includes a fluid ejector, a heat exchanger, and a fluid pump disposed in series flow communication The ejector includes a primary inlet for receiving a primary fluid, and a secondary inlet for receiving a secondary fluid which is mixed with the primary fluid and discharged therefrom as ejector discharge. Heat is removed from the ejector discharge in the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger discharge is compressed in the fluid pump and channeled to the ejector secondary inlet as the secondary fluid In an exemplary embodiment, the temperature of the primary fluid is greater than the maximum operating temperature of a fluid motor powering the fluid pump using a portion of the ejector discharge, with the secondary fluid being mixed with the primary fluid so that the ejector discharge temperature is equal to about the maximum operating temperature of the fluid motor.

A concept of natural circulation BWRs such as the SBWR has been proposed and seems to be promising in that the primary cooling system can be simplified. The authors have been investigating thermo-hydraulic instabilities which may appear during the start-up in natural circulation BWRs. In our previous works, geysering was investigated in parallel boiling channels for both natural and forced circulations, and its driving mechanism and the effect of system pressure on geysering occurrence were made clear. In this paper, geysering is investigated in a vertical column and a U-shaped vertical column heated in the lower parts. It is clarified from the results that the occurrence mechanism of geysering and the dependence of system pressure on geysering occurrence coincide between parallel boiling channels in circulation systems and vertical columns in non-circulation systems.

A temperature insensitive (athermal) channeled spectropolarimeter (CSP) is described. The athermal CSP includes a crystal retarder formed of a biaxial crystal. The crystal retarder has three crystal axes, wherein each axis has its own distinct index of refraction. The axes are oriented in a particular manner, causing an amplitude modulating carrier frequency induced by the crystal retarder to be thermally invariant. Accordingly, a calibration beam technique can be used over a relatively wide range of ambient temperatures, with a common calibration data set.

Background: Aquaporins (AQPs), members of a superfamily of transmembrane channel proteins, are ubiquitous in all domains of life. They fall into a number of branches that can be functionally categorized into two major sub-groups: i) orthodox aquaporins, which are water-specific channels, and ii) aquaglyceroporins, which allow the transport of water, non-polar solutes, such as urea or glycerol, the reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide, and gases such as ammonia, carbon dioxide and nitric oxide and, as described in this review, metalloids. Scope of Review: This review summarizes the key findings that AQP channels conduct bidirectional movement of metalloids into and out of cells. Major Conclusions: As(OH)3 and Sb(OH)3 behave as inorganic molecular mimics of glycerol, a property that allows their passage through AQP channels. Plant AQPs also allow the passage of boron and silicon as their hydroxyacids, boric acid (B(OH)3) and orthosilicic acid (Si(OH)4), respectively. Genetic analysis suggests that germanic acid (GeO2) is also a substrate. While As(III), Sb(III) and Ge(IV) are toxic metalloids, borate (B(III)) and silicate (Si(IV)) are essential elements in higher plants. General Significance: The uptake of environmental metalloids by aquaporins provides an understanding of (i) how toxic elements such as arsenic enter the food chain; (ii) the delivery of arsenic and antimony containing drugs in the treatment of certain forms of leukemia and chemotherapy of diseases caused by pathogenic protozoa; and (iii) the possibility that food plants such as rice could be made safer by genetically modifying them to exclude arsenic while still accumulating boron and silicon. PMID:24291688

When multiple channels are employed in a pulse-Doppler radar, achieving and maintaining balance between the channels is problematic. In some circumstances the channels may be commutated to achieve adequate balance. Commutation is the switching, trading, toggling, or multiplexing of the channels between signal paths. Commutation allows modulating the imbalance energy away from the balanced energy in Doppler, where it can be mitigated with filtering.

Alpha particles born through fusion reactions in a tokamak reactor tend to slow down on electrons, but that could take up to hundreds of milliseconds. Before that happens, the energy in these alpha particles can destabilize on collisionless timescales toroidal Alfven modes and other waves, in a way deleterious to energy confinement. However, it has been speculated that this energy might be instead be channeled into useful energy, so as to heat fuel ions or to drive current. Such a channeling needs to be catalyzed by waves Waves can produce diffusion in energy of the alpha particles in a way that is strictly coupled to diffusion in space. If these diffusion paths in energy-position space point from high energy in the center to low energy on the periphery, then alpha particles will be cooled while forced to the periphery. The energy from the alpha particles is absorbed by the wave. The amplified wave can then heat ions or drive current. This process or paradigm for extracting alpha particle energy collisionlessly has been called alpha channeling. While the effect is speculative, the upside potential for economical fusion is immense. The paradigm also operates more generally in other contexts of magnetically confined plasma.

This review attempts to give a concise and up-to-date overview on the role of potassium channels in epilepsies. Their role can be defined from a genetic perspective, focusing on variants and de novo mutations identified in genetic studies or animal models with targeted, specific mutations in genes coding for a member of the large potassium channel family. In these genetic studies, a demonstrated functional link to hyperexcitability often remains elusive. However, their role can also be defined from a functional perspective, based on dynamic, aggravating, or adaptive transcriptional and posttranslational alterations. In these cases, it often remains elusive whether the alteration is causal or merely incidental. With ∼80 potassium channel types, of which ∼10% are known to be associated with epilepsies (in humans) or a seizure phenotype (in animals), if genetically mutated, a comprehensive review is a challenging endeavor. This goal may seem all the more ambitious once the data on posttranslational alterations, found both in human tissue from epilepsy patients and in chronic or acute animal models, are included. We therefore summarize the literature, and expand only on key findings, particularly regarding functional alterations found in patient brain tissue and chronic animal models. PMID:27141079

A MS Excel program has been written that calculates accidental, or unintentional, ion channeling in cubic bcc, fcc and diamond lattice crystals or polycrystalline materials. This becomes an important issue when simulating the creation by energetic neutrons of point displacement damage and extended defects using beams of ions. All of the tables and graphs in the three Ion Beam Analysis Handbooks that previously had to be manually looked up and read from were programed into Excel in handy lookup tables, or parameterized, for the case of the graphs, using rather simple exponential functions with different powers of the argument. The program then offers an extremely convenient way to calculate axial and planar half-angles and minimum yield or dechanneling probabilities, effects on half-angles of amorphous overlayers, accidental channeling probabilities for randomly oriented crystals or crystallites, and finally a way to automatically generate stereographic projections of axial and planar channeling half-angles. The program can generate these projections and calculate these probabilities for axes and [hkl] planes up to (555).

A method and system for providing a micro-channel plate detector. An anodized aluminum oxide membrane is provided and includes a plurality of nanopores which have an Al coating and a thin layer of an emissive oxide material responsive to incident radiation, thereby providing a plurality of radiation sensitive channels for the micro-channel plate detector.

Voltage-gated sodium channels are known to play a pivotal role in perception and transmission of pain sensations. Gain-of-function mutations in the genes encoding the peripheral neuronal sodium channels, hNav1.7–1.9, cause human painful diseases. Thus while treatment of chronic pain remains an unmet clinical need, sodium channel blockers are considered as promising druggable targets. In a previous study, we evaluated the analgesic activity of sumatriptan, an agonist of serotonin 5HT1B/D receptors, and some new chiral bioisosteres, using the hot plate test in the mouse. Interestingly, we observed that the analgesic effectiveness was not necessarily correlated to serotonin agonism. In this study, we evaluated whether sumatriptan and its congeners may inhibit heterologously expressed hNav1.7 sodium channels using the patch-clamp method. We show that sumatriptan blocks hNav1.7 channels only at very high, supratherapeutic concentrations. In contrast, its three analogs, namely 20b, (R)-31b, and (S)-22b, exert a dose and use-dependent sodium channel block. At 0.1 and 10 Hz stimulation frequencies, the most potent compound, (S)-22b, was 4.4 and 1.7 fold more potent than the well-known sodium channel blocker mexiletine. The compound induces a negative shift of voltage dependence of fast inactivation, suggesting higher affinity to the inactivated channel. Accordingly, we show that (S)-22b likely binds the conserved local anesthetic receptor within voltage-gated sodium channels. Combining these results with the previous ones, we hypothesize that use-dependent sodium channel blockade contributes to the analgesic activity of (R)-31b and (S)-22b. These later compounds represent promising lead compounds for the development of efficient analgesics, the mechanism of action of which may include a dual action on sodium channels and 5HT1D receptors. PMID:26257653

Drosophila genes reaper, grim, and head-involution-defective (hid) induce apoptosis in several cellular contexts. N-terminal sequences of these proteins are highly conserved and are similar to N-terminal inactivation domains of voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels. Synthetic Reaper and Grim N terminus peptides induced fast inactivation of Shaker-type K+ channels when applied to the cytoplasmic side of the channel that was qualitatively similar to the inactivation produced by other K+ channel inactivation particles. Mutations that reduce the apoptotic activity of Reaper also reduced the synthetic peptide’s ability to induce channel inactivation, indicating that K+ channel inactivation correlated with apoptotic activity. Coexpression of Reaper RNA or direct injection of full length Reaper protein caused near irreversible block of the K+ channels. These results suggest that Reaper and Grim may participate in initiating apoptosis by stably blocking K+ channels. PMID:9751729

The power consumption of a radio generally goes as the number and strength of the RF signals it must process. In particular, a radio receiver would consume much less power if the signal presented to its electronics contained only the desired signal in a tiny percent bandwidth frequency channel, rather than the typical mix of signals containing unwanted energy outside the desired channel. Unfortunately, a lack of filters capable of selecting single channel bandwidths at RF forces the front-ends of contemporary receivers to accept unwanted signals, and thus, to operate with sub-optimal efficiency. This dissertation focuses on the degree to which capacitive-gap transduced micromechanical resonators can achieve the aforementioned RF channel-selecting filters. It aims to first show theoretically that with appropriate scaling capacitive-gap transducers are strong enough to meet the needed coupling requirements; and second, to fully detail an architecture and design procedure needed to realize said filters. Finally, this dissertation provides an actual experimentally demonstrated RF channel-select filter designed using the developed procedures and confirming theoretical predictions. Specifically, this dissertation introduces four methods that make possible the design and fabrication of RF channel-select filters. The first of these introduces a small-signal equivalent circuit for parallel-plate capacitive-gap transduced micromechanical resonators that employs negative capacitance to model the dependence of resonance frequency on electrical stiffness in a way that facilitates the analysis of micromechanical circuits loaded with arbitrary electrical impedances. The new circuit model not only correctly predicts the dependence of electrical stiffness on the impedances loading the input and output electrodes of parallel-plate capacitive-gap transduced micromechanical device, but does so in a visually intuitive way that identifies current drive as most appropriate for

Experiments on sodium channel inactivation kinetics were performed on voltage-clamped crayfish giant axons. The primary goals was to investigate whether channels must open before activating. Voltage-clamp artifacts were minimized by the use of low-sodium solutions and full series resistance compensation, and the spatial uniformity of the currents was checked with a closely spaced pair of electrodes used to measure local current densities. For membrane potentials between -40 and +40 mV, sodium currents decay to zero with a single exponential time-course. The time constant for decay is a steep function of membrane potential. The time-course of inactivation measured with the double-pulse method is very similar to the decay of current at the same potential. Steady-state inactivation curves measured with different test pulses are identical. The time-course of doubling pulse inactivation shows a lag that roughly correlates with the opening of sodium channels, but it is not strictly necessary for channels to open before inactivating. Measurements of the potential dependence of the integral of sodium conductance are also inconsistent with the simplest cases of models in which channels must open before activating.

Waveform correlation detectors used in explosion monitoring scan noisy geophysical data to test two competing hypotheses: either (1) an amplitude-scaled version of a template waveform is present, or, (2) no signal is present at all. In reality, geophysical wavefields that are monitored for explosion signatures include waveforms produced by non-target sources that are partially correlated with the waveform template. Such signals can falsely trigger correlation detectors, particularly at low thresholds required to monitor for smaller target explosions. This challenge is particularly formidable when monitoring known test sites for seismic disturbances, since uncatalogued natural seismicity is (generally) more prevalent at lower magnitudes, and could be mistaken for small explosions. To address these challenges, we identify real examples in which correlation detectors targeting explosions falsely trigger on both site-proximal earthquakes (Figure 1, below) and microseismic "noise". Motivated by these examples, we quantify performance loss when applying these detectors, and re-evaluate the correlation-detector's hypothesis test. We thereby derive new detectors from more general hypotheses that admit unknown background seismicity, and apply these to real data. From our treatment, we derive "rules of thumb'' for proper template and threshold selection in heavily cluttered signal environments. Last, we answer the question "what is the probability of falsely detecting an earthquake collocated at a test site?", using correlation detectors that include explosion-triggered templates. Figure Top: An eight-channel data stream (black) recorded from an earthquake near a mine. Red markers indicate a detection. Middle: The correlation statistic computed by scanning the template against the data stream at top. The red line indicates the threshold for event declaration, determined by a false-alarm on noise probability constraint, as computed from the signal-absent distribution using

Several types of channels play a role in the maintenance of ion homeostasis in subcellular organelles including endoplasmatic reticulum, nucleus, lysosome, endosome, and mitochondria. Here we give a brief overview of the contribution of various mitochondrial and other organellar channels to cancer cell proliferation or death. Much attention is focused on channels involved in intracellular calcium signaling and on ion fluxes in the ATP-producing organelle mitochondria. Mitochondrial K(+) channels (Ca(2+)-dependent BKCa and IKCa, ATP-dependent KATP, Kv1.3, two-pore TWIK-related Acid-Sensitive K(+) channel-3 (TASK-3)), Ca(2+) uniporter MCU, Mg(2+)-permeable Mrs2, anion channels (voltage-dependent chloride channel VDAC, intracellular chloride channel CLIC) and the Permeability Transition Pore (MPTP) contribute importantly to the regulation of function in this organelle. Since mitochondria play a central role in apoptosis, modulation of their ion channels by pharmacological means may lead to death of cancer cells. The nuclear potassium channel Kv10.1 and the nuclear chloride channel CLIC4 as well as the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER)-located inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor, the ER-located Ca(2+) depletion sensor STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1), a component of the store-operated Ca(2+) channel and the ER-resident TRPM8 are also mentioned. Furthermore, pharmacological tools affecting organellar channels and modulating cancer cell survival are discussed. The channels described in this review are summarized on Figure 1. Overall, the view is emerging that intracellular ion channels may represent a promising target for cancer treatment. PMID:24027528

Fully developed turbulent channel flow was simulated numerically at Reynolds number 13800, based on centerline velocity and channel halt width. The large-scale flow field was obtained by directly integrating the filtered, three dimensional, time dependent, Navier-Stokes equations. The small-scale field motions were simulated through an eddy viscosity model. The calculations were carried out on the ILLIAC IV computer with up to 516,096 grid points. The computed flow field was used to study the statistical properties of the flow as well as its time dependent features. The agreement of the computed mean velocity profile, turbulence statistics, and detailed flow structures with experimental data is good. The resolvable portion of the statistical correlations appearing in the Reynolds stress equations are calculated. Particular attention is given to the examination of the flow structure in the vicinity of the wall.

We study the effects of optical turbulence on the energy crosstalk among constituent orbital angular momentum (OAM) states in a vortex-based multi-channel laser communication link and determine channel interference in terms of turbulence strength and OAM state separation. We characterize the channel interference as a function of C2n and transmit OAM state, and propose probability models to predict the random fluctuations in the received signals for such architecture. Simulations indicate that turbulence-induced channel interference is mutually correlated across receive channels.

We establish the Ahlswede dichotomy for arbitrarily varying classical-quantum wiretap channels, i.e., either the deterministic secrecy capacity of the channel is zero, or it equals its randomness-assisted secrecy capacity. We analyze the secrecy capacity of these channels when the sender and the receiver use various resources. It turns out that randomness, common randomness, and correlation as resources are very helpful for achieving a positive secrecy capacity. We prove the phenomenon "super-activation" for arbitrarily varying classical-quantum wiretap channels, i.e., two channels, both with zero deterministic secrecy capacity, if used together allow perfect secure transmission.

Voltage Gated Calcium Channels is the first comprehensive book in the calcium channel field, encompassing over thirty years of progress towards our understanding of calcium channel structure, function, regulation, physiology, pharmacology, and genetics. This book balances contributions from many of the leading authorities in the calcium channel field with fresh perspectives from risings stars in the area, taking into account the most recent literature and concepts. This is the only all-encompassing calcium channel book currently available, and is an essential resource for academic researchers at all levels in the areas neuroscience, biophysics, and cardiovascular sciences, as well as to researchers in the drug discovery area.

We previously described a Ca2(+)-activated K+ channel (KCLIC) in airway epithelial cells. To determine whether the KCLIC channel is a basolateral membrane channel and to understand its role in Cl- secretion, we studied airway epithelial cells grown on permeable supports. When cells were stimulated with A23187, charybdotoxin (ChTX) inhibited Cl- secretion and 86Rb efflux at the same concentrations, indicating that the KCLIC channel is required for Ca2(+)-stimulated Cl- secretion. We also investigated the function of K+ channels in adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-stimulated secretion. Addition of isoproterenol caused a biphasic increase in Cl- secretion; the time course of the transient component correlated with the time course of the isoproterenol-induced increase in Ca2+ concentration (( Ca2+)c). ChTX inhibited the transient component, but not the prolonged component of secretion; Ba2+ inhibited the sustained component. These results suggest that when cells are grown on permeable supports isoproterenol-induced secretion depends on activation of two types of K+ channel: the KCLIC channel that is stimulated initially and a ChTX-insensitive K+ channel that is stimulated during sustained secretion. This conclusion was supported by measurement of 86Rb efflux from cell monolayers.

Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels are cation-selective, opened by intracellular cyclic nucleotides like cAMP and cGMP, and present in many different neurons and non-neuronal cells. This chapter will concentrate primarily on the biophysical aspects of retinal and olfactory CNG channels, with special reference to ion permeation and selectivity and their underlying molecular basis, and will include a brief overview of the physiological function of CNG channels in both olfaction and phototransduction. We will review the subunit composition and molecular structure of the CNG channel and its similarity to the closely related potassium channels, and will also briefly outline the currently accepted molecular basis underlying activation of the channel and the location of the channel `gate'. We will then outline some general methodologies for investigating ion permeation and selectivity, before reviewing the ion permeation and selectivity properties of native and recombinant CNG channels. We will discuss divalent ion permeation through the channel and the mechanism of channel block by divalent ions. The chapter will conclude by discussing the results of recent experiments to investigate the molecular determinants of cation-anion selectivity in the channel.

Chloride channels represent a relatively under-explored target class for drug discovery as elucidation of their identity and physiological roles has lagged behind that of many other drug targets. Chloride channels are involved in a wide range of biological functions, including epithelial fluid secretion, cell-volume regulation, neuroexcitation, smooth-muscle contraction and acidification of intracellular organelles. Mutations in several chloride channels cause human diseases, including cystic fibrosis, macular degeneration, myotonia, kidney stones, renal salt wasting and hyperekplexia. Chloride-channel modulators have potential applications in the treatment of some of these disorders, as well as in secretory diarrhoeas, polycystic kidney disease, osteoporosis and hypertension. Modulators of GABAA (γ-aminobutyric acid A) receptor chloride channels are in clinical use and several small-molecule chloride-channel modulators are in preclinical development and clinical trials. Here, we discuss the broad opportunities that remain in chloride-channel-based drug discovery. PMID:19153558

Color photographs and descriptive data are presented for 50 stream channels for which roughness coefficients have been determined. All hydraulic computations involving flow in open channels require an evaluation of the roughness characteristics of the channel. In the absence of a satisfactory quantitative procedure this evaluation remains chiefly an art. The ability to evaluate roughness coefficients must be developed through experience. One means of gaining this experience is by examining and becoming acquainted with the appearance of some typical channels whose roughness coefficients are known. The photographs and data contained in this report represent a wide range of channel conditions. Familiarity with the appearance, geometry, and roughness characteristics of these channels will improve the engineer's ability to select roughness coefficients for other channels .

Expressed in Xenopus oocytes, KvLQT1 channel subunits yield a small, rapidly activating, voltage- dependent potassium conductance. When coexpressed with the minK gene product, a slowly activating and much larger potassium current results. Using fluctuation analysis and single-channel recordings, we have studied the currents formed by human KvLQT1 subunits alone and in conjunction with human or rat minK subunits. With low external K+, the single-channel conductances of these three channel types are estimated to be 0.7, 4.5, and 6.5 pS, respectively, based on noise analysis at 20 kHz bandwidth of currents at +50 mV. Power spectra computed over the range 0.1 Hz–20 kHz show a weak frequency dependence, consistent with current interruptions occurring on a broad range of time scales. The broad spectrum causes the apparent single-channel current value to depend on the bandwidth of the recording, and is mirrored in very “flickery” single-channel events of the channels from coexpressed KvLQT1 and human minK subunits. The increase in macroscopic current due to the presence of the minK subunit is accounted for by the increased apparent single-channel conductance it confers on the expressed channels. The rat minK subunit also confers the property that the outward single-channel current is increased by external potassium ions. PMID:9834139

The dissected and eroded channel observed in this THEMIS image taken of plains materials southwest of the volcano Elysium Mons shows typical erosional islands and depositional features. The interesting thing about this channel is that it appears to start out of nowhere. The MOLA context image shows that the channel originates from a fissure within the ground, whose origin is likely volcanic, but may also be related to volatile processes.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

The Termoskan instrument on board the Phobos '88 spacecraft acquired the highest spatial resolution thermal infrared emission data ever obtained for Mars. Included in the thermal images 2 km/pixel, midday observations of several major channel and valley systems including significant portions of Shalbatana, Ravi, Al-Qahira, and Ma'adim Valles, the channel connecting Valles Marineris with Hydraotes Chaos, and channel material in Eos Chasma. Termoskan also observed small portions of the southern beginnings of Simud, Tiu, and Ares Valles and some channel material in Gangis Chasma. Simultaneous broadband visible reflectance data were obtained for all but Ma'adim Vallis. We find that most of the channels and valleys have higher thermal inertias than their surroundings, consistent with previous thermal studies. We show for the first time that the thermal inertia boundaries closely match flat channel floor boundaries. Also, buttes within channels have inertias similiar to the plains surrounding the channels, suggesting the buttes are remnants of a contiguous plains surface. Lower bounds on typical channel thermal inertias range from 8.4 to 12.5 (10-3 cal cm-2 s-1/2/K) (352 to 523 in SI units of J m-2 s-1/2/K). Lower bounds on inertia differences with the surrounding heavily cratered plains range from 1.1 to 3.5 (46 to 147 SI). Atmospheric and geometric effects are not sufficient to cause the observed channel inertia enhancements. We favor nonaeolian explanations of the overall channel inertia enhancements based primarily upon the channel floors' thermal homogeneity and the strong correlation of thermal boundaries with floor boundaries. However, localized, dark regions within some channels are likely aeolian in nature as reported previously. Most channels with increased inertias have fretted morphologies such as flat floors with steep walls. Eastern Ravi and southern Ares Valles, the only major channel sections observed that have obvious catastrophic flood bedforms, do not

Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders. Despite its prevalence, the basic physiology of the molecules and mechanisms that contribute to migraine headache is still poorly understood, making the discovery of more effective treatments extremely difficult. The consistent presence of head-specific pain during migraine suggests an important role for activation of the peripheral nociceptors localized to the head. Accordingly, this review will cover the current understanding of the biological mechanisms leading to episodic activation and sensitization of the trigeminovascular pain pathway, focusing on recent advances regarding activation and modulation of ion channels. PMID:24697223

The miniaturized Moessbauer (MB) spectrometers MIMOS II [1] on board of the two Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity have obtained more than 600 spectra of more than 300 different rock and soil targets [2-7]. Both instruments have simultaneously collected 6.4 keV X-ray and 14.4 keV .-ray spectra in backscattering geometry [1]. With Spirit's MB spectrometer, 6.4 keV and 14.4 keV spectra have been obtained for all targets through sol 461. After this date, only 14.4 keV spectra were collected. With Opportunity's spectrometer, 6.4 keV and 14.4 keV spectra have been collected for all targets to date. The Fe-mineralogy of rock and soil targets at both landing sites reported to date has been exclusively extracted from 14.4 keV spectra [2-5]. The comparison of 6.4 keV and 14.4 keV spectra provides depth selective information about a sample, but interpretation is not always straightforward [8].

We have proposed a design and simulation of hardware realizations of smart multifunctional continuous logic devices (SMCLD) as advanced basic cells of the sensor systems with MIMO- structure for images processing and interconnection. The SMCLD realize function of two-valued, multi-valued and continuous logics with current inputs and current outputs. Such advanced basic cells realize function nonlinear time-pulse transformation, analog-to-digital converters and neural logic. We showed advantages of such elements. It's have a number of advantages: high speed and reliability, simplicity, small power consumption, high integration level. The conception of construction of SMCLD consists in the use of a current mirrors realized on 1.5μm technology CMOS transistors. Presence of 50÷70 transistors, 1 PD and 1 LED makes the offered circuits quite compact. The simulation results of NOT, MIN, MAX, equivalence (EQ), normalize summation, averaging and other functions, that implemented SMCLD, showed that the level of logical variables can change from 0.1μA to 10μA for low-power consumption variants. The SMCLD have low power consumption <1mW and processing time about 1÷11μS at supply voltage 2.4÷3.3V.

The power consumption of a radio generally goes as the number and strength of the RF signals it must process. In particular, a radio receiver would consume much less power if the signal presented to its electronics contained only the desired signal in a tiny percent bandwidth frequency channel, rather than the typical mix of signals containing unwanted energy outside the desired channel. Unfortunately, a lack of filters capable of selecting single channel bandwidths at RF forces the front-ends of contemporary receivers to accept unwanted signals, and thus, to operate with sub-optimal efficiency. This dissertation focuses on the degree to which capacitive-gap transduced micromechanical resonators can achieve the aforementioned RF channel-selecting filters. It aims to first show theoretically that with appropriate scaling capacitive-gap transducers are strong enough to meet the needed coupling requirements; and second, to fully detail an architecture and design procedure needed to realize said filters. Finally, this dissertation provides an actual experimentally demonstrated RF channel-select filter designed using the developed procedures and confirming theoretical predictions. Specifically, this dissertation introduces four methods that make possible the design and fabrication of RF channel-select filters. The first of these introduces a small-signal equivalent circuit for parallel-plate capacitive-gap transduced micromechanical resonators that employs negative capacitance to model the dependence of resonance frequency on electrical stiffness in a way that facilitates the analysis of micromechanical circuits loaded with arbitrary electrical impedances. The new circuit model not only correctly predicts the dependence of electrical stiffness on the impedances loading the input and output electrodes of parallel-plate capacitive-gap transduced micromechanical device, but does so in a visually intuitive way that identifies current drive as most appropriate for

In recent years there has been an increased interest in using polarimetric imaging sensors for terrestrial remote sensing applications because of their ability to discriminate manmade objects in a natural clutter background. However, adverse weather limits the performance of these sensors. Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) polarimetric sensor data of a scene containing manmade objects in a natural clutter background is compared with simultaneously collected environmental data. In this paper, a metric is constructed from the Stokes parameter S1 and is correlated with some environmental channels. There are differences in the correlation outputs, with the sensor data metric positively correlated with some environmental channels, negatively correlated with some channels and uncorrelated with other channels. Results from real data measurements are presented and interpreted. An uncooled LWIR sensor using an achromatic retarder to capture the polarimetric states performed the data collection. The environmental channels include various meteorological channels, radiation loading and soil properties.

Improving spectral resolution in cochlear implants is key to improving performance in difficult listening conditions (e.g. speech in noise, music, etc.). Current focusing might reduce channel interaction, thereby increasing spectral resolution. Previous studies have shown that combining current steering and current focusing reduces spread of excitation and improves virtual channel discrimination in a single-channel context. It is unclear whether the single-channel benefits from current focusing extend to a multi-channel context, in which the physical and perceptual interference of multiple stimulated channels might overwhelm the benefits of improved spectral resolution. In this study, signal discrimination was measured with and without current focusing, in the presence of competing stimuli on nearby electrodes. Results showed that signal discrimination was consistently better with current focusing than without, regardless of the amplitude of the competing stimuli. Therefore, combining current steering and current focusing may provide more effective spectral cues than are currently available. PMID:22616092

The multiple landslides in this VIS image occur along a steep channel wall. Note the large impact crater in the context image. The formation of the crater may have initially weakened that area of the surface prior to channel formation.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Numerous studies demonstrated that membrane cholesterol is a major regulator of ion channel function. The goal of this review is to discuss significant advances that have been recently achieved in elucidating the mechanisms responsible for cholesterol regulation of ion channels. The first major insight that comes from growing number of studies that based on the sterol specificity of cholesterol effects, show that several types of ion channels (nAChR, Kir, BK, TRPV) are regulated by specific sterol-protein interactions. This conclusion is supported by demonstrating direct saturable binding of cholesterol to a bacterial Kir channel. The second major advance in the field is the identification of putative cholesterol binding sites in several types of ion channels. These include sites at locations associated with the well-known cholesterol binding motif CRAC and its reversed form CARC in nAChR, BK, and TRPV, as well as novel cholesterol binding regions in Kir channels. Notably, in the majority of these channels, cholesterol is suggested to interact mainly with hydrophobic residues in non-annular regions of the channels being embedded in between transmembrane protein helices. We also discuss how identification of putative cholesterol binding sites is an essential step to understand the mechanistic basis of cholesterol-induced channel regulation. Clearly, however, these are only the first few steps in obtaining a general understanding of cholesterol-ion channels interactions and their roles in cellular and organ functions. PMID:24616704

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl- channels appear to be regulated by hydrolysis of ATP and are inhibited by a product of hydrolysis, ADP. We assessed the effect of the other product of hydrolysis, inorganic phosphate (P(i)), on CFTR Cl- channel activity using the excised inside-out configuration of the patch-clamp technique. Millimolar concentrations of P(i) caused a dose-dependent stimulation of CFTR Cl- channel activity. Single-channel analysis demonstrated that the increase in macroscopic current was due to an increase in single-channel open-state probability (po) and not single-channel conductance. Kinetic modeling of the effect of P(i) using a linear three-state model indicated that the effect on po was predominantly the result of an increase in the rate at which the channel passed from the long closed state to the bursting state. P(i) also potentiated activity of channels studied in the presence of 10 mM ATP and stimulated Cl- currents in CFTR mutants lacking much of the R domain. Binding studies with a photoactivatable ATP analog indicated that Pi decreased the amount of bound nucleotide. These results suggest that P(i) increased CFTR Cl- channel activity by stimulating a rate-limiting step in channel opening that may occur by an interaction of P(i) at one or both nucleotide-binding domains. Images FIGURE 8 PMID:7532021

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Human ether-a-go-go related gene (HERG) channel inhibitors may be subdivided into compounds that are trapped in the closed channel conformation and others that dissociate at rest. The structural peculiarities promoting resting state dissociation from HERG channels are currently unknown. A small molecule-like propafenone is efficiently trapped in the closed HERG channel conformation. The aim of this study was to identify structural moieties that would promote dissociation of propafenone derivatives. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Human ether-a-go-go related gene channels were heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes and potassium currents were recorded using the two-microelectrode voltage clamp technique. Recovery from block by 10 propafenone derivatives with variable side chains, but a conserved putative pharmacophore, was analysed. KEY RESULTS We have identified structural determinants of propafenone derivatives that enable drug dissociation from the closed channel state. Propafenone and four derivatives with ‘short’ side chains were trapped in the closed channel. Five out of six bulky derivatives efficiently dissociated from the channel at rest. One propafenone derivative with a similar bulk but lacking an H-bond acceptor in this region was trapped. Correlations were observed between molecular weight and onset of channel block as well as between pKa and recovery at rest. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS The data show that extending the size of a trapped HERG blocker-like propafenone by adding a bulky side chain may impede channel closure and thereby facilitate drug dissociation at rest. The presence of an H-bond acceptor in the bulky side chain is, however, essential. PMID:21175572

For the first time, this study reports the results of numerical investigation of conjugate convection from a finned channel. The computational domain of investigation consists of a horizontal channel with vertical rectangular fins being mounted on outside of the channel. The equations governing two-dimensional, steady, incompressible, constant property laminar flow have been solved for the fluid flowing outside the channel. In doing this, Boussinesq assumption is assumed to be valid for the fluid flowing outside the channel along the fins. For the fluid flowing inside the channel, flow is assumed to be turbulent with forced convection as the mode of heat transfer. From a large volume of numerically generated data correlations have been proposed for (1) Nusselt number and (2) Entropy generated by the system. These correlations are finally used to obtain thermodynamic optimum where in we seek a solution with minimum total entropy generation rate for varying heat duties, by using the state-of-the art Genetic algorithms.

We consider two bosonic Gaussian channels whose thermal noise is strong enough to break bipartite entanglement. In this scenario, we discuss how the presence of separable correlations between the two channels is able to restore the broken entanglement. This reactivation occurs not only in a scheme of direct distribution, where a third party (Charlie) broadcasts entangled states to remote parties (Alice and Bob), but also in a configuration of indirect distribution which is based on entanglement swapping. In both schemes, the amount of entanglement remotely activated can be large enough to be distilled by one-way distillation protocols.

Quantum communication between nodes in quantum networks plays an important role in quantum information processing. Here, we proposed the use of the expected number of quantum channels as a measure of the efficiency of quantum communication for quantum networks. This measure quantified the amount of quantum information that can be teleported between nodes in a quantum network, which differs from classical case in that the quantum channels will be consumed if teleportation is performed. We further demonstrated that the expected number of quantum channels represents local correlations depicted by effective circles. Significantly, capacity of quantum communication of quantum networks quantified by ENQC is independent of distance for the communicating nodes, if the effective circles of communication nodes are not overlapped. The expected number of quantum channels can be enhanced through transformations of the lattice configurations of quantum networks via entanglement swapping. Our results can shed lights on the study of quantum communication in quantum networks. PMID:26173556

Since the discovery of the carbon nanotube and aquaporin, the study of the transportation of water across nanochannels has become one of the hot subjects. When the radius of a nanochannel is only about one nanometer or a little larger, water confined in those nanoscale channels usually exhibits dynamics different from those in bulk system, such as the wet-dry transition due to the confinement, concerted hydrogen-bond orientations and flipping, concerted motion of water molecules, and strong interactions with external charges. Those dynamics correlate with the unique behavior of the water transportation across the channels, such as the extra-high permeability, excellent on-off gating behavior with response to the external mechanical and electrical signals and noises, enhancement by structure outside the channel, directional transportation driven by charges close to a channel or electric field. In this article, we review some of the recent progress on the study of the water molecules inside those narrow nanochannels.

The problem of buoyancy driven turbulent flow in parallel-plate channels is investigated. The investigation is limited to vertical channels of uniform cross-section with different modes of heating. The details of the flow and thermal fields are obtained from the solution of the conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy in addition to equations of the low Reynolds number turbulence model. The study covers Rayleigh number ranging from 105 to 107 and focuses on the effect of channel geometry on the characteristic of the flow and thermal fields as well as the local and average Nusselt number variation. A Nusselt number correlation has been developed in terms of a modified Rayleigh number and channel aspect ratio for the cases of symmetrically heated isothermal and isoflux conditions.

Quantum communication between nodes in quantum networks plays an important role in quantum information processing. Here, we proposed the use of the expected number of quantum channels as a measure of the efficiency of quantum communication for quantum networks. This measure quantified the amount of quantum information that can be teleported between nodes in a quantum network, which differs from classical case in that the quantum channels will be consumed if teleportation is performed. We further demonstrated that the expected number of quantum channels represents local correlations depicted by effective circles. Significantly, capacity of quantum communication of quantum networks quantified by ENQC is independent of distance for the communicating nodes, if the effective circles of communication nodes are not overlapped. The expected number of quantum channels can be enhanced through transformations of the lattice configurations of quantum networks via entanglement swapping. Our results can shed lights on the study of quantum communication in quantum networks. PMID:26173556

Nanocommunications via Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) is a promising means of realising collaboration between photoactive nanomachines to implement advanced nanotechnology applications. The method is based on exchange of energy levels between fluorescent molecules by the FRET phenomenon which intrinsically provides a virtual nanocommunication link. In this work, further to the extensive theoretical studies, we demonstrate the first information transfer through a FRET-based nanocommunication channel. We implement a digital communication system combining macroscale transceiver instruments and a bulk solution of fluorophore nanoantennas. The performance of the FRET-based Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output (MIMO) nanocommunication channel between closely located mobile nanoantennas in the sample solution is evaluated in terms of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Bit Error Rate (BER) obtained for the transmission rates of 50 kbps, 150 kbps and 250 kbps. The results of the performance evaluation are very promising for the development of high-rate and reliable molecular communication networks at nanoscale. PMID:25591972

Background During the acute phase of critical illness myopathy (CIM) there is inexcitability of skeletal muscle. In a rat model of CIM, muscle inexcitability is due to inactivation of sodium channels. A major contributor to this sodium channel inactivation is a hyperpolarized shift in the voltage dependence of sodium channel inactivation. The goal of the current study was to find a biochemical correlate of the hyperpolarized shift in sodium channel inactivation. Methods The rat model of CIM was generated by cutting the sciatic nerve and subsequent injections of dexamethasone for 7 days. Skeletal muscle membranes were prepared from gastrocnemius muscles, and purification and biochemical analyses carried out. Immunoprecipitations were performed with a pan-sodium channel antibody, and the resulting complexes probed in Western blots with various antibodies. Results We carried out analyses of sodium channel glycosylation, phosphorylation, and association with other proteins. Although there was some loss of channel glycosylation in the disease, as assessed by size analysis of glycosylated and de-glycosylated protein in control and CIM samples, previous work by other investigators suggest that such loss would most likely shift channel inactivation gating in a depolarizing direction; thus such loss was viewed as compensatory rather than causative of the disease. A phosphorylation site at serine 487 was identified on the NaV 1.4 sodium channel α subunit, but there was no clear evidence of altered phosphorylation in the disease. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments carried out with a pan-sodium channel antibody confirmed that the sodium channel was associated with proteins of the dystrophin associated protein complex (DAPC). This complex differed between control and CIM samples. Syntrophin, dystrophin, and plectin associated strongly with sodium channels in both control and disease conditions, while β-dystroglycan and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) associated

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are cellular sensors for a wide spectrum of physical and chemical stimuli. They are involved in the formation of sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, temperature, and pain sensation. TRP channels also play fundamental roles in cell signaling and allow the host cell to respond to benign or harmful environmental changes. As TRP channel activation is controlled by very diverse processes and, in many cases, exhibits complex polymodal properties, understanding how each TRP channel responds to its unique forms of activation energy is both crucial and challenging. The past two decades witnessed significant advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie TRP channels activation. This review focuses on our current understanding of the molecular determinants for TRP channel activation. PMID:23720286

Pain is a complex disease which can progress into a debilitating condition. The effective treatment of pain remains a challenge as current therapies often lack the desired level of efficacy or tolerability. One therapeutic avenue, the modulation of ion channel signaling by small molecules, has shown the ability to treat pain. However, of the 215 ion channels that exist in the human genome, with 85 ion channels having a strong literature link to pain, only a small number of these channels have been successfully drugged for pain. The focus of future research will be to fully explore the possibilities surrounding these unexplored ion channels. Toward this end, a greater understanding of ion channel modulation will be the greatest tool we have in developing the next generation of drugs for the treatment of pain. PMID:26218246

We investigated spillover paleoflood channels connecting large basins in the northern plains of Mars. These channels are one of several types of direct evidence for the existance of large volumes of water on the surface during certain episodes of Martian history. Among the channels, the most spectacular are a group of braided channels (20N, 175) connecting the Elysium and Amazonis basins. This entire system is about 500 km long and up to 130 km wide. Based on the photoclinometric measurements of the channel geometry, we estimated that the scale of flooding could have been comparable to that of the catastrophic Lake Missoula floods on Earth. Recently discovered terrestrial paleoflood spillways connecting basins in central Asia are analogous to these Martian spillover channels in both their scale and their likely formation mechanisms.

The Channel Tunnel is a 50.5 km-long rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover. It connects Dover, Kent in England with Calais, northern France. The undersea section of the tunnel is unsurpassed in length in the world. A proposal for a Channel tunnel was first put forward by a French engineer in 1802. In 1881, a first attempt was made at boring a tunnel from the English side; the work was halted after 800 m. Again in 1922, English workers started boring a tunnel, and advanced 120 m before it too was halted for political reasons. The most recent attempt was begun in 1987, and the tunnel was officially opened in 1994. At completion it was estimated that the project cost around $18 billion. It has been operating at a significant loss since its opening, despite trips by over 7 million passengers per year on the Eurostar train, and over 3 million vehicles per year.

With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet.

ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products.

Receptor-activated Ca(2+) influx is mediated largely by store-operated channels (SOCs). TRPC channels mediate a significant portion of the receptor-activated Ca(2+) influx. However, whether any of the TRPC channels function as a SOC remains controversial. Our understanding of the regulation of TRPC channels and their function as SOCs is being reshaped with the discovery of the role of STIM1 in the regulation of Ca(2+) influx channels. The findings that STIM1 is an ER resident Ca(2+) binding protein that regulates SOCs allow an expanded and molecular definition of SOCs. SOCs can be considered as channels that are regulated by STIM1 and require the clustering of STIM1 in response to depletion of the ER Ca(2+) stores and its translocation towards the plasma membrane. TRPC1 and other TRPC channels fulfill these criteria. STIM1 binds to TRPC1, TRPC2, TRPC4 and TRPC5 but not to TRPC3, TRPC6 and TRPC7, and STIM1 regulates TRPC1 channel activity. Structure-function analysis reveals that the C-terminus of STIM1 contains the binding and gating function of STIM1. The ERM domain of STIM1 binds to TRPC channels and a lysine-rich region participates in the gating of SOCs and TRPC1. Knock-down of STIM1 by siRNA and prevention of its translocation to the plasma membrane inhibit the activity of native SOCs and TRPC1. These findings support the conclusion that TRPC1 is a SOC. Similar studies with other TRPC channels demonstrate their regulation by STIM1 and indicate that all TRPC channels, except TRPC7, function as SOCs. PMID:17517433

In any theory satisfying the no-signaling principle correlations generated among spatially separated parties in a Bell-type experiment are subject to certain constraints known as monogamy relations. Recently, in the context of the black hole information loss problem it was suggested that these monogamy relations might be violated. This in turn implies that correlations arising in such a scenario must violate the no-signaling principle and hence can be used to send classical information between parties. Here, we study the amount of information that can be sent using such correlations. To this aim, we first provide a framework associating them with classical channels whose capacities are then used to quantify the usefulness of these correlations in sending information. Finally, we determine the minimal amount of information that can be sent using signaling correlations violating the monogamy relation associated to the chained Bell inequalities.

N. St. Vrain Creek drains 250 km2 of the Colorado Front Range. The basin is underlain by granitic rocks, and the upper half was glaciated. We used 25 study reaches to examine controls on reach-scale channel geometry. Variables measured included channel geometry (width, depth, gradient, bedforms), grain size, and mean velocity. Drainage area at each study reach ranged from 2.2-245 km2, and gradient from 0.013-0.147 m/m. The increase in discharge with drainage area is strongly linear. Channel types included cascade, step-pool, plane-bed and pool-riffle. We examined correlations among (1) the reach-scale response variables bankfull width (w), hydraulic radius (R), mean velocity (v), Darcy-Weisbach ff, bedform wavelength (bw) and amplitude (a), grain size, relative roughness (R/D84) and shear stress (ss), and (2) potential control variables that change progressively downstream (drainage area, discharge) or that are reach-specific (bed gradient). Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that response variables correlate most strongly with local gradient because of the segmented nature of mountain channels. Results from linear regression analyses indicate that most response variables(R/D84, D50, D84, ff, ss) correlate best with gradient, although w, w/d ratio, and bw correlate best with discharge. Multiple regression analyses using Mallow's Cp selection criterion produced similar results in that most response variables correlate strongly with gradient, although the specific variables differ from those selected with linear regressions: w, a, v, ff and ss correlate with gradient, whereas R, bw and v correlate with discharge. These results suggest that the hypothesis is partially supported: channel bed gradient is likely to be a good predictor for many reach-scale response variables along mountain rivers, but discharge is also a good predictor for some response variables. Thus, although subject to strong constraints imposed by changes in gradient and grain size supplied by

Transcranial focused ultrasound (US) has been demonstrated to stimulate neurons in animals and humans, but the mechanism of this effect is unknown. It has been hypothesized that US, a mechanical stimulus, may mediate cellular discharge by activating mechanosensitive ion channels embedded within cellular membranes. To test this hypothesis, we expressed potassium and sodium mechanosensitive ion channels (channels of the two-pore-domain potassium family (K2P) including TREK-1, TREK-2, TRAAK; NaV1.5) in the Xenopus oocyte system. Focused US (10 MHz, 0.3-4.9 W/cm(2)) modulated the currents flowing through the ion channels on average by up to 23%, depending on channel and stimulus intensity. The effects were reversible upon repeated stimulation and were abolished when a channel blocker (ranolazine to block NaV1.5, BaCl2 to block K2P channels) was applied to the solution. These data reveal at the single cell level that focused US modulates the activity of specific ion channels to mediate transmembrane currents. These findings open doors to investigations of the effects of US on ion channels expressed in neurons, retinal cells, or cardiac cells, which may lead to important medical applications. The findings may also pave the way to the development of sonogenetics: a non-invasive, US-based analogue of optogenetics. PMID:27112990

Many microfluidic devices use macroscopic pressure differentials to overcome viscous friction and generate flows in microchannels. In this work, we investigate how the chemical and geometric properties of the channel walls can drive a net flow by exploiting the autophoretic slip flows induced along active walls by local concentration gradients of a solute species. We show that chemical patterning of the wall is not required to generate and control a net flux within the channel, rather channel geometry alone is sufficient. Using numerical simulations, we determine how geometric characteristics of the wall influence channel flow rate, and confirm our results analytically in the asymptotic limit of lubrication theory. PMID:26000567

Mechanosensitive channels mediate touch, hearing, proprioception, and blood pressure regulation. Piezo proteins, including Piezo1 and Piezo2, represent a new class of mechanosensitive channels that have been reported to play key roles in most, if not all, of these modalities. The structural architecture and molecular mechanisms by which Piezos act as mechanosensitive channels, however, remain mysterious. Two new studies have now provided critical insights into the atomic structure and molecular basis of the ion permeation and mechano-gating properties of the Piezo1 channel. PMID:27164907

We study the flapping of a flag in an inviscid channel flow. We focus especially on how quantities vary with channel spacing. As the channel walls move inwards towards the flag, heavier flags become more unstable, while light flags' stability is less affected. We use a vortex sheet model to compute large-amplitude flapping, and find that the flag undergoes a series of jumps to higher flapping modes as the channel walls are moved towards the flag. Meanwhile, the drag on the flag and the energy lost to the wake first rise as the walls become closer, then drop sharply as the flag moves to a higher flapping mode.

BK channels are universal regulators of cell excitability, given their exceptional unitary conductance selective for K(+), joint activation mechanism by membrane depolarization and intracellular [Ca(2+)] elevation, and broad expression pattern. In this chapter, we discuss the structural basis and operational principles of their activation, or gating, by membrane potential and calcium. We also discuss how the two activation mechanisms interact to culminate in channel opening. As members of the voltage-gated potassium channel superfamily, BK channels are discussed in the context of archetypal family members, in terms of similarities that help us understand their function, but also seminal structural and biophysical differences that confer unique functional properties. PMID:27238260

Transcranial focused ultrasound (US) has been demonstrated to stimulate neurons in animals and humans, but the mechanism of this effect is unknown. It has been hypothesized that US, a mechanical stimulus, may mediate cellular discharge by activating mechanosensitive ion channels embedded within cellular membranes. To test this hypothesis, we expressed potassium and sodium mechanosensitive ion channels (channels of the two-pore-domain potassium family (K2P) including TREK-1, TREK-2, TRAAK; NaV1.5) in the Xenopus oocyte system. Focused US (10 MHz, 0.3–4.9 W/cm2) modulated the currents flowing through the ion channels on average by up to 23%, depending on channel and stimulus intensity. The effects were reversible upon repeated stimulation and were abolished when a channel blocker (ranolazine to block NaV1.5, BaCl2 to block K2P channels) was applied to the solution. These data reveal at the single cell level that focused US modulates the activity of specific ion channels to mediate transmembrane currents. These findings open doors to investigations of the effects of US on ion channels expressed in neurons, retinal cells, or cardiac cells, which may lead to important medical applications. The findings may also pave the way to the development of sonogenetics: a non-invasive, US-based analogue of optogenetics. PMID:27112990

We demonstrate the design and development of an innovative single-channel terahertz (THz) prototype endoscopic imaging system based on flexible metal-coated THz waveguides and a polarization specific detection technique. The continuous-wave (CW) THz imaging system utilizes a single channel to transmit and collect the reflected intrinsic THz signal from the sample. Since the prototype system relies on a flexible waveguide assembly that is small enough in diameter, it can be readily integrated with a conventional optical endoscope. This study aims to show the feasibility of waveguide enabled THz imaging. We image various objects in transmission and reflection modes. We also image normal and cancerous colonic tissues in reflectance mode using a polarization specific imaging technique. The resulting cross-polarized THz reflectance images showed contrast between normal and cancerous colonic tissues at 584 GHz. The level of contrast observed using endoscopic imaging correlates well with contrast levels observed in ex vivo THz reflectance studies of colon cancer. This indicates that the single-channel flexible waveguide-based THz endoscope presented here represents a significant step forward in clinical endoscopic application of THz technology to aid in in vivo cancer screening.

The objective of this task is to study the corrosion and arc erosion of MHD materials in a cooperative effort with, and to support, the MHD topping cycle program. Materials tested in the Avco Research Laboratory/Textron facility, or materials which have significant MHD importance, will be analyzed to document their physical deterioration. Conclusions shall be drawn about their wear mechanisms and lifetime in the MHD environment with respect to the following issues: sulfur corrosion, electrochemical corrosion, and arc erosion. The impact of any materials or slag conditions on the level of power output and on the level of leakage current in the MHD channel will also be noted, where appropriate. The detailed correlation and analysis of data obtained from nearly all of the CDIF tests performed since 1986 has shown that the apparent leakage current flowing through the slag on the channel walls depends upon channel operating parameters in an unexpected way. A comprehensive report of the results obtained to date and a first attempt at their interpretation has been prepared and a copy is attached. The second activity has concerned the examination of electrodes (platinum anodes/tungsten cathodes) by SEM and EDX techniques to determine the nature of the surface degradation. Results of these examinations are reported.

The objective of this task is to study the corrosion and arc erosion of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) materials in a cooperative effort with, and to support, the MHD topping cycle program. Materials tested in the Avco Research Laboratory/Textron facility, or materials which have significant MHD importance, will be analyzed to document their physical deterioration. Conclusions shall be drawn about their wear mechanisms and lifetime in the MHD environment with respect to the following issues: sulfur corrosion, electrochemical corrosion, and arc erosion. The impact of any materials or slag conditions on the level of power output and on the level of leakage current in the MHD channel will also be noted, where appropriate. The detailed correlation and analysis of data obtained from nearly all of the tests performed since 1986 has shown that the apparent leakage current flowing through the slag on the channel walls depends upon channel operating parameters in an unexpected way. A comprehensive report of the results obtained to date and a first attempt at their interpretation has been prepared and a copy is attached. The second activity has concerned the examination of electrodes (platinum anodes/tungsten cathodes) by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x ray spectroscopy of the surface degradation. Results of these examinations are reported.

The mucolipin family of Transient Receptor Potential (TRPML) proteins is predicted to encode ion channels expressed in intracellular endosomes and lysosomes. Loss-of-function mutations of human TRPML1 cause type IV mucolipidosis (ML4), a childhood neurodegenerative disease. Meanwhile, gain-of-function mutations in the mouse TRPML3 result in the varitint-waddler (Va) phenotype with hearing and pigmentation defects. The broad spectrum phenotypes of ML4 and Va appear to result from certain aspects of endosomal/lysosomal dysfunction. Lysosomes, traditionally believed to be the terminal “recycling center” for biological “garbage”, are now known to play indispensable roles in intracellular signal transduction and membrane trafficking. Studies employing animal models and cell lines in which TRPML genes have been genetically disrupted or depleted have uncovered roles of TRPMLs in multiple cellular functions including membrane trafficking, signal transduction, and organellar ion homeostasis. Physiological assays of mammalian cell lines in which TRPMLs are heterologously over-expressed have revealed the channel properties of TRPMLs in mediating cation (Ca2+/Fe2+) efflux from endosomes and lysosomes in response to unidentified cellular cues. This review aims to summarize these recent advances in the TRPML field and to correlate the channel properties of endolysosomal TRPMLs with their biological functions. We will also discuss the potential cellular mechanisms by which TRPML deficiency leads to neurodegeneration. PMID:20074572

The Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) is a 4.2-m telescope to be built at a new site near Happy Jack, Arizona. The DCT features a large prime focus mosaic CCD camera with a 2-degree-diameter field of view especially designed for surveys of KBOs, Centaurs, NEAs and other moving or time-variable targets. The telescope can be switched quickly to a Ritchey-Chretien configuration for optical/IR spectroscopy or near-IR imaging. This flexibility allows timely follow-up physical studies of high priority objects discovered in survey mode. The ULE (ultra-low-expansion) meniscus primary and secondary mirror blanks for the telescope are currently in fabrication by Corning Glass. Goodrich Aerospace, Vertex RSI, M3 Engineering and Technology Corp., and e2v Technologies have recently completed in-depth conceptual design studies of the optics, mount, enclosure, and mosaic focal plane, respectively. The results of these studies were subjected to a formal design review in July, 2004. Site testing at the 7760-ft altitude Happy Jack site began in 2001. Differential image motion observations from 117 nights since January 1, 2003 gave median seeing of 0.84 arcsec FWHM, and the average of the first quartile was 0.62 arcsec. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for securing long-term access to this site on the Coconino National Forest is nearing completion and ground breaking is expected in the spring of 2005. The Discovery Channel Telescope is a project of the Lowell Observatory with major financial support from Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI). DCI plans ongoing television programming featuring the construction of the telescope and the research ultimately undertaken with the DCT. An additional partner can be accommodated in the project. Interested parties should contact the lead author.

Compares the personal channel of training and the impersonal channel of publication for recruitment to scientific theories considers both number of recruits and degree of affiliation. Examines social effects of training as seen through associates' perceptions of traits and attitudes of theorists. Analyzes correlations between perceptions and…

While information exists on high energy negative particle channeling there has been little study of the challenges of negative particle bending and channeling collimation. Partly this is because negative dechanneling lengths are relatively much shorter. Electrons are not particularly useful for investigating negative particle channeling effects because their material interactions are dominated by channeling radiation. Another important factor is that the current central challenge in channeling collimation is the proton-proton Large Hadron Collider (LHC) where both beams are positive. On the other hand in the future the collimation question might reemerge for electon-positron or muon colliders. Dechanneling lengths increase at higher energies so that part of the negative particle experimental challenge diminishes. In the article different approaches to determining negative dechanneling lengths are reviewed. The more complicated case for axial channeling is also discussed. Muon channeling as a tool to investigate dechanneling is also discussed. While it is now possible to study muon channeling it will probably not illuminate the study of negative dechanneling.

In orthogonal frequency division modulation (OFDM) communication systems, channel state information (CSI) is required at receiver due to the fact that frequency-selective fading channel leads to disgusting intersymbol interference (ISI) over data transmission. Broadband channel model is often described by very few dominant channel taps and they can be probed by compressive sensing based sparse channel estimation (SCE) methods, for example, orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm, which can take the advantage of sparse structure effectively in the channel as for prior information. However, these developed methods are vulnerable to both noise interference and column coherence of training signal matrix. In other words, the primary objective of these conventional methods is to catch the dominant channel taps without a report of posterior channel uncertainty. To improve the estimation performance, we proposed a compressive sensing based Bayesian sparse channel estimation (BSCE) method which cannot only exploit the channel sparsity but also mitigate the unexpected channel uncertainty without scarifying any computational complexity. The proposed method can reveal potential ambiguity among multiple channel estimators that are ambiguous due to observation noise or correlation interference among columns in the training matrix. Computer simulations show that proposed method can improve the estimation performance when comparing with conventional SCE methods. PMID:24983012

The role of the side channels in the continuous-variable quantum key distribution is studied. It is shown how the information leakage through a side channel from the trusted sender station increases the vulnerability of the protocols to the eavesdropping in the main quantum communication channel. Moreover, the untrusted noise infusion by an eavesdropper on the trusted receiving side breaks the security even for a purely attenuating main quantum channel. As a method to compensate for the effect of the side-channel leakage on the sender side, we suggest several types of manipulations on the side-channel input. It is shown that by applying the modulated coherent light on the input of the side channel that is optimally correlated to the modulation on the main signal and optionally introducing additional squeezing in the case of the squeezed-state protocol, the negative influence of the lossy side channel on the sender side can be completely removed. For the trusted receiving side, the method of optimal monitoring of the residual noise from the side-channel noise infusion is suggested and shown to be able to completely eliminate the presence of the noisy side channel. We therefore prove that the side-channel effects can be completely removed using feasible operations if the trusted parties access the respective parts of the side channels.

Groundwater sapping is known as one of the important processes for channel initiation. We examined hydro- geomorphic factors that affect channel initiation by groundwater sapping. The study site (Mt. Kanozan) is located in Boso Peninsula, 50-km southeast of Tokyo, central Japan. Unconfined sandstone with high permeability comprises the mountain. Some features of piping, boiling and seepage erosion were found along first and second-order channels. Runoff at a spring site (SS) kept a constant discharge throughout year, and did not show any responses to typhoon storms with over 100-mm total rainfall. We surveyed micro-topography of 12 channel heads. Most channel heads have steep head slope (35-45 deg.) and gentle gradient downstream (5-10 deg.). Gentle slope of groundwater table immediately above channel head (roughly 7 deg. at the spring site SS) controls channel gradient, and affects distinct gradient transition at channel heads. We could not found any significant correlation between source area and local slope at channel heads, probably due to a scattered relation between surface drainage area and spring discharge. All channel heads are located in an altitude zone of 50-100 m, while the altitude of mountain peak is 270 m. The limited altitude distribution of channel heads implies that channel initiation of this area should be controlled by a critical altitude associated with deep groundwater flow systems.

The characteristic localization of ion channels is crucial for the propagation of saltatory conduction in myelinated nerves. Voltage-gated Na(+) channels are located at nodes of Ranvier while voltage-gated K(+) channels are mainly found at juxtaparanodal regions. Recently, a humoral factor secreted by oligodendrocytes has been reported to induce clustering of Na(+) channels in CNS axons. However, the molecular mechanisms for K(+) channel clustering as well as the role of oligodendrocytes are still uncertain. To clarify whether myelin sheath itself can induce the distinct distribution of K(+) channels, we have investigated the localization of K(+) channels in adult and developing mouse optic nerves. The CNS axons from chronic demyelinating and hypomyelinating mice were also examined to determine if myelin sheaths were required for the maintenance of clusters. In all cases, the K(+) channel clustering correlated well with compact myelin, but not with the presence of oligodendrocytes, suggesting that, in contrast to Na(+) channel clustering, the formation of compact myelin is required for initiation as well as maintenance of K(+) channel clustering. In addition, postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) or its highly related protein was found colocalized with K(+) channels, suggesting that it may interact with K(+) channels to form clusters at juxtaparanodal regions. PMID:10583907

In-silico simulation based on Markov chains is a powerful way to describe and predict the activity of many transport proteins including ion channels. However, modeling and simulation using realistic models of voltage- or ligand-gated ion channels exposed to a wide range of experimental conditions require building complex kinetic schemes and solving complicated differential equations. To circumvent these problems, we developed IonChannelLab a software tool that includes a user-friendly Graphical User Interface and a simulation library. This program supports channels with Ohmic or Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz behavior and can simulate the time-course of ionic and gating currents, single channel behavior and steady-state conditions. The program allows the simulation of experiments where voltage, ligand and ionic concentration are varied independently or simultaneously. PMID:20935453

Aquaporins (AQPs) are biological water channels known for fast water transport (∼10(8)-10(9) molecules/s/channel) with ion exclusion. Few synthetic channels have been designed to mimic this high water permeability, and none reject ions at a significant level. Selective water translocation has previously been shown to depend on water-wires spanning the AQP pore that reverse their orientation, combined with correlatedchannel motions. No quantitative correlation between the dipolar orientation of the water-wires and their effects on water and proton translocation has been reported. Here, we use complementary X-ray structural data, bilayer transport experiments, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to gain key insights and quantify transport. We report artificial imidazole-quartet water channels with 2.6 Å pores, similar to AQP channels, that encapsulate oriented dipolar water-wires in a confined chiral conduit. These channels are able to transport ∼10(6) water molecules/s, which is within 2 orders of magnitude of AQPs' rates, and reject all ions except protons. The proton conductance is high (∼5 H(+)/s/channel) and approximately half that of the M2 proton channel at neutral pH. Chirality is a key feature influencing channel efficiency. PMID:27063409

A PEM fuel cell having serpentine flow field channels wherein the input/inlet legs of each channel border the input/inlet legs of the next adjacent channels in the same flow field, and the output/exit legs of each channel border the output/exit legs of the next adjacent channels in the same flow field. The serpentine fuel flow channels may be longer, and may contain more medial legs, than the serpentine oxidant flow channels.

ABSTRACT Chondrocytes are the uniquely resident cells found in all types of cartilage and key to their function is the ability to respond to mechanical loads with changes of metabolic activity. This mechanotransduction property is, in part, mediated through the activity of a range of expressed transmembrane channels; ion channels, gap junction proteins, and porins. Appropriate expression of ion channels has been shown essential for production of extracellular matrix and differential expression of transmembrane channels is correlated to musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis and Albers-Schönberg. In this study we analyzed the consistency of gene expression between channelomes of chondrocytes from human articular and costal (teenage and fetal origin) cartilages. Notably, we found 14 ion channel genes commonly expressed between articular and both types of costal cartilage chondrocytes. There were several other ion channel genes expressed only in articular (6 genes) or costal chondrocytes (5 genes). Significant differences in expression of BEST1 and KCNJ2 (Kir2.1) were observed between fetal and teenage costal cartilage. Interestingly, the large Ca2+ activated potassium channel (BKα, or KCNMA1) was very highly expressed in all chondrocytes examined. Expression of the gap junction genes for Panx1, GJA1 (Cx43) and GJC1 (Cx45) was also observed in chondrocytes from all cartilage samples. Together, this data highlights similarities between chondrocyte membrane channel gene expressions in cells derived from different anatomical sites, and may imply that common electrophysiological signaling pathways underlie cellular control. The high expression of a range of mechanically and metabolically sensitive membrane channels suggest that chondrocyte mechanotransduction may be more complex than previously thought. PMID:27116676

We designed and fabricated a fully automatic fast face recognition optical parallel correlator [E. Watanabe and K. Kodate: Appl. Opt. 44 (2005) 5666] based on the VanderLugt principle. The implementation of an as-yet unattained ultra high-speed system was aided by reconfiguring the system to make it suitable for easier parallel processing, as well as by composing a higher accuracy correlation filter and high-speed ferroelectric liquid crystal-spatial light modulator (FLC-SLM). In running trial experiments using this system (dubbed FARCO), we succeeded in acquiring remarkably low error rates of 1.3% for false match rate (FMR) and 2.6% for false non-match rate (FNMR). Given the results of our experiments, the aim of this paper is to examine methods of designing correlation filters and arranging database image arrays for even faster parallel correlation, underlining the issues of calculation technique, quantization bit rate, pixel size and shift from optical axis. The correlation filter has proved its excellent performance and higher precision than classical correlation and joint transform correlator (JTC). Moreover, arrangement of multi-object reference images leads to 10-channelcorrelation signals, as sharply marked as those of a single channel. This experiment result demonstrates great potential for achieving the process speed of 10000 face/s.

Ion channels represent a large family of membrane proteins with many being well established targets in pharmacotherapy. The ‘druggability’ of heteromeric channels comprised of different subunits remains obscure, due largely to a lack of channel-specific probes necessary to delineate their therapeutic potential in vivo. Our initial studies reported here, investigated the family of inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels given the availability of high resolution crystal structures for the eukaryotic constitutively active Kir2.2 channel. We describe a ‘limited’ homology modeling approach that can yield chimeric Kir channels having an outer vestibule structure representing nearly any known vertebrate or invertebrate channel. These computationally-derived channel structures were tested ""in silico for ‘docking’ to NMR structures of tertiapin (TPN), a 21 amino acid peptide found in bee venom. TPN is a highly selective and potent blocker for the epithelial rat Kir1.1 channel, but does not block human or zebrafish Kir1.1 channel isoforms. Our Kir1.1 channel-TPN docking experiments recapitulated published in vitro ""findings for TPN-sensitive and TPN-insensitive channels. Additionally, in silico site-directed mutagenesis identified ‘hot spots’ within the channel outer vestibule that mediate energetically favorable docking scores and correlate with sites previously identified with in vitro thermodynamic mutant-cycle analysis. These ‘proof-of-principle’ results establish a framework for virtual screening of re-engineered peptide toxins for interactions with computationally derived Kir channels that currently lack channel-specific blockers. When coupled with electrophysiological validation, this virtual screening approach may accelerate the drug discovery process, and can be readily applied to other ion channels families where high resolution structures are available. PMID:25709757

Ion channels regulate ion flow by opening and closing their pore gates. K(+) channels commonly possess two pore gates, one at the intracellular end for fast channel activation/deactivation and the other at the selectivity filter for slow C-type inactivation/recovery. The large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channel lacks a classic intracellular bundle-crossing activation gate and normally show no C-type inactivation. We hypothesized that the BK channel's activation gate may spatially overlap or coexist with the C-type inactivation gate at or near the selectivity filter. We induced C-type inactivation in BK channels and studied the relationship between activation/deactivation and C-type inactivation/recovery. We observed prominent slow C-type inactivation/recovery in BK channels by an extreme low concentration of extracellular K(+) together with a Y294E/K/Q/S or Y279F mutation whose equivalent in Shaker channels (T449E/K/D/Q/S or W434F) caused a greatly accelerated rate of C-type inactivation or constitutive C-inactivation. C-type inactivation in most K(+) channels occurs upon sustained membrane depolarization or channel opening and then recovers during hyperpolarized membrane potentials or channel closure. However, we found that the BK channel C-type inactivation occurred during hyperpolarized membrane potentials or with decreased intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)]i) and recovered with depolarized membrane potentials or elevated [Ca(2+)]i Constitutively open mutation prevented BK channels from C-type inactivation. We concluded that BK channel C-type inactivation is closed state-dependent and that its extents and rates inversely correlate with channel-open probability. Because C-type inactivation can involve multiple conformational changes at the selectivity filter, we propose that the BK channel's normal closing may represent an early conformational stage of C-type inactivation. PMID:27298368

A propagation path simulator was designed for the channel between a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite in geostationary orbit and a user spacecraft orbiting the earth at an altitude between 200 and 4000 kilometers. The simulator is required to duplicate the time varying parameters of the propagation channel.

An RFI channel to be a multiple-access channel is defined in which no sender can know when any other starts, and the problem of determining the relative phases of the senders at the receiver is studied. A new result is proved about binary DEBruijn sequences.

Proteins implicated as intracellular chloride channels include the intracellular ClC proteins, the bestrophins, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, the CLICs, and the recently described Golgi pH regulator. This paper examines current hypotheses regarding roles of intracellular chloride channels and reviews the evidence supporting a role in intracellular chloride transport for each of these proteins. PMID:20100480

Multiple electrostatic quadrupole arrays can be produced in many different geometries. However, the fabrication process can be considerably simplified if the poles are rectangular. This is especially true for millimeter sized channels. This paper presents the results of a series of measurements comparing the space charge limits in cylindrical and rectangular quadrupole channels.

Released 19 July 2004 The atmosphere of Mars is a dynamic system. Water-ice clouds, fog, and hazes can make imaging the surface from space difficult. Dust storms can grow from local disturbances to global sizes, through which imaging is impossible. Seasonal temperature changes are the usual drivers in cloud and dust storm development and growth.

Eons of atmospheric dust storm activity has left its mark on the surface of Mars. Dust carried aloft by the wind has settled out on every available surface; sand dunes have been created and moved by centuries of wind; and the effect of continual sand-blasting has modified many regions of Mars, creating yardangs and other unusual surface forms.

The yardangs in this image are forming in channel floor deposits. The channel itself is funneling the wind to cause the erosion.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are

In the present technological expansion, the radio frequency integrated circuits in the wireless communication technologies became useful because of the replacement of increasing number of functions, traditional hardware components by modern digital signal processing. The carrier frequencies used for communication systems, now a day, shifted toward the microwave regime. The signal processing for the multiple inputs multiple output wireless communication system using the Metal- Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transistor (MOSFET) has been done a lot. In this research the signal processing with help of nano-scaled Cylindrical Surrounding Double Gate (CSDG) MOSFET by means of Double- Pole Four-Throw Radio-Frequency (DP4T RF) switch, in terms of Insertion loss, Isolation, Reverse isolation and Inter modulation have been analyzed. In addition to this a channel model has been presented. Here, we also discussed some patents relevant to the topic. PMID:25986227